Son of Potter, Daughter of Black
by DaSalvatore
Summary: Harry felt he had lost his chance at family after watching Sirius fly away only for his godfather to show up during the summer. Sirius teaches Harry what he needs to know, helping him become the true Lord Potter. Then the Tri-Wiz comes and the deepest, darkest secret of the Marauders is revealed - Harry was born the daughter of Lily and Sirius. Eventual Fem!HarryxTonks
1. Book 1: Azkaban Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all of his world are works of J. . I'm not her, I'm playing in her sandbox!

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 **AN:** **This story will involve issues of gender identity and gender-swap. The gender-swap will not happen immediately and nor will Harry learn about his real identity straight away. Cannon Harry is able to accept the change easier than most because of his lack of self-worth and family.**

 **Instead Harry will develop a sense of family, an identity and an inner strength before the secret is revealed and so, hopefully, making the change much more of a journey for him.**

 **I hope you can enjoy the story even if that isn't your thing.**

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Azkaban Aftermath

 _18th June, 1994._

"What's that?" Vernon snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was clutching like a lifeline. To the small boy it was exactly that. "If it's another form for me to sign..."

"It's not." Harry announced cheerfully. The joy he felt from the simply owning the letter giving the far too small boy the bravery to interrupt his much larger relative. "It's a letter from my godfather."

"Godfather?" Vernon snarled, pudgy eyes narrowing. "You haven't got a godfather!"

"Yes, I have." Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, and abused teen pushed on. "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though... keep up with my news... check I'm happy..."

The controlled rambling shut Vernon up. The perpetually angry man's only response being foul mutterings to himself as he stormed his way through the King's Cross crowd to get to his car. Harry was quick to follow and if there was a little bounce to his steps, Vernon wasn't to notice.

Harry's dream of living with his father's best friend, Sirius Black, had been shot down before it really got started. Yet the now spectre of a villainous godfather watching over him still had the power to improve his summer. It might even get the Dursleys to feed him properly.

The drive to Little Whinging was peaceful for Harry with Vernon's many frustrations aimed at any and all the walrus-like man saw on the journey. Though Harry was willing to bet that his uncle would be sorely disappointed to find out how close he had been to losing his soul to the vile Dementors only for them not to have the opportunity to finish the job.

Vernon was out of the car the moment they arrived back at Number Four, Privet Drive. Harry was almost certain his uncle hadn't even waited for it to stop moving before disappearing into the house without his annual 'Boy, get your things!' command.

Harry struggled with pulling his trunk and Hedwig's cage free from the car and wrestled both into the house where he found his first surprise of the summer and unintentional gift from Sirius. Aunt Petunia's eyes held a slight wide-eyed fearful glaze while Vernon looked like his was trying to dry swallow the Monster Book of Monsters.

"Take your stuff to your room." Vernon ordered. "I don't want any of your freakishness and you'll keep out of our way, you hear? As long as you keep quiet then you won't have that many chores and you can tell your godfather how happy you are this summer."

Harry had to fight the laughter that threatened to burst free and quickly nodded before dragging everything to his room. It was as he was pulling the door closed behind him that he realised it was the first summer they hadn't locked his trunk up in the cupboard.

He settled the trunk at the bottom of his lumpy bed and the cage next to the opened window for when Hedwig flew in. It was when Harry set up the water and owl treats that he made a mental note to let his friends know about the diet Vernon had ranted about during the drive. Apparently poor little Dudley had been unable to have his immense bulk excused away by the blind love of Petunia and had been put on a diet by the Smeltings' nurse. Petunia's horror at having to "starve" her little boy meant the shrew of a woman was sharing out of the pain by putting everyone on his diet. Which meant even less portions for the malnourished Harry. He hoped his friends would be able to send him enough food to keep him going until September.

It was that depressing thought which had Harry deciding he wasn't yet ready for life inside Privet Prison. He quickly and quietly slipped out of the house and headed to his favourite spot when not at Hogwarts.

The local park that had sprung out from the small wood nearby was large enough for him to enjoy daydreaming on the swings and be able to stay away from Dudley's gang at the same time. It was only when he wasn't being careful that his cousin would catch him there. It was barely five minutes later when a voice spoke up behind him.

"It's so disappointing that the Son of Prongs has free time and isn't playing pranks."

Harry was off the swing and spinning around, instinctively reaching for his wand before his brain remembered that it was in his room. The action and mental cross-fire had his legs take on a life of their own and he was sent sprawling to the ground in a heap. The laughter that came so close to the barking enjoyment of a dog had Harry blinking up in confusion at the sandy-haired man who had spoken.

"S...S...Sirius...?" He stammered once the actual words had sunk in. He scrambled to his feet and dived into the waiting arms of the man whose only response was to cling to him as tightly as he held back. "Polyjuice?"

"Glamour." Sirius explained. He pulled Harry away so he could get a good look at the son of his best friend. "Though for future reference always double check someone's identity if you haven't seen them in a while. It's a trick we picked up in the war."

"You called me the Son of Prongs." Harry pointed out with a bright smile. "I only found out you four were the Marauder's when Professor Lupin told us. Only the people in the shack would know I knew about those names, you wouldn't have been Pettigrew and the Professor has no reason to hide his face."

Sirius blinked down at his godson. "Did you truly work all that out or is this all hindsight?"

"I worked it out." Harry frowned first at the question then at the actual situation. "Wait, Sirius what are you doing here? You said you were going on the run. What if someone can tell its you? You shouldn't be here!"

"Don't worry about that." Sirius threw his arm over Harry's shoulder and chuckled at the frantic way Harry was looking around as though Ministry authorities were about to Apparate in. The Marauder led them to the trees at the far end of the park. "I've got it all sorted out and I'm proud of you for doing all that thinking so quickly. It'll make what's going to come easier and more difficult."

"The first time you saw me in my Padfoot form was when you got the Knight Bus, remember?" Harry nodded and wondered why he was okay with touching Sirius when he fought against physical contact the rest of the time. "Well it wasn't the first time I had seen _you_ after my breakout. I'd been keeping a watch trying to learn what I could about my godson and found a good spot to rest at night. Welcome to my Wizard's Tent!"

They had slipped through the trees into a small clearing where a large green tent sat waiting. Sirius withdrew his arm and vanished through the flap leaving Harry to stand unsure about what was going on. He feared losing Sirius after they had only now found each other and wanted his godfather as far away from danger as possible. Yet a much louder part of him wanted to latch onto the moment with everything he possessed and hold on for dear life.

The fear of loss warred with the desire for a family and in truth there was never a doubt about the victor. He screwed up his Gryffindor courage and stepped into the tent only to stop dead at the sight that greeted him.

Harry had the urge to keep running in and out of the tent to test whether it really was bigger on the inside than the outside. The flap opened into a cosy living room with a rug covered floor, multiple comfortable looking seats and a table which had a bag sitting on it. Behind the now glamour-free and smiling Sirius Harry could see doors that meant there was even more to the magical place.

Sirius let loose another of his barking laughs that reminded Harry so much of the older man's Animagus form. His godfather looked clean, his teeth were a healthy white, but the physical baggage of Azkaban was there in the way the man moved.

"Come and take a seat." Sirius told him, waving at one of the chairs while he sunk into another.

The action seemed so natural that Harry was briefly shown a glimpse of what it would have been like to visit Sirius if his parents had survived. Harry quickly buried the pain, having learned that such things were never good to dwell on. Instead, he took the offered chair and allowed the multitude of questions to run rampant through his mind. Sirius was still on the run after all. The look in those old grey eyes made Harry want to squirm from their intensity. He felt his soul being weighed in the heavy gaze.

"First things first." Sirius declared with a playful smirk. He reached into the bag and pulled out a small object wrapped in a soft cloth and Harry took it with the same sense of reverence it was offered. "That right there, Pup, is one of the crowning glories of being a Marauder. It's a two-way mirror and I've got the one it's connected to. If you want or need to talk to me at any time then say _Padfoot_ into it and I'll be there. James and I used them all the time when we were stuck in separate detentions."

Harry carefully unwrapped the mirror and thought of another magical Mirror as his fingers slid along the detailed edges. It was a bridge between Harry's past and present, a connection to the childhood of his father that allowed him to keep Sirius in his life no matter what events came. The tears began to form and, though he instinctively pushed them away, he was aware that it was the first time he had the chance to shed happy tears.

"Harry..." Sirius brought his attention back to the present. He looked up to see a haunted look in those grey eyes that he couldn't translate. "I need to know everything you've learnt about the Wizarding World."

That caught Harry by surprised. Out of all the topics Sirius could have started their bonding with _this_ would not have been his guess as to the one that had been picked. It took Harry barely any time to go through everything he had come to know over the past three years, especially after admitting the lack of learning in his History of Magic class.

"Damn that man!" Sirius snarled in true anger, spinning up out of the chair to pace back and forth behind it. Harry instinctively flinched at the harshness in the voice but the Animagus was too caught up in his thinking to notice. "What about the Families? Do you know anything about them or the Wizarding Council?"

"Families like the Malfoys and Weasleys?" Harry asked, thinking about the pure-blood bigotry that seemed important to wizards.

"Morgana curse you, Dumbledore." Sirius shouted at the ceiling, his magic flaring out in a suffocating rage that had Harry cringing back against the horrible feeling pressing on his skin. This time Sirius did notice and made a focused effort to pull back his emotions. The child of Black quickly stepped in front of his godson and dropped to his haunches, pulling Harry into a tight hug. "It's okay, Harry, I'm not angry at you at all. I'm angry _for_ you, Pup."

Harry was mortified at his show of weakness. He knew how to cover up the flinching at Hogwarts, never showing the little boy who had made being skittish an art form in surviving angry adults. Being back at the Dursleys seemed to immediately strip Harry bare of his protective shell. He straightened up in Sirius' arms and gave a weak smile, putting on a mask in the hope they could quickly change subjects. Sirius sighed sadly and climbed to his feet to resettle in his own chair.

"Kreacher." Sirius called out and almost instantly an extremely old looking house-elf appeared. It looked as run down and pitiful as Sirius had in the Shrieking Shack and Harry couldn't help compare it to Dobby. "Butterbeer and firewhiskey. This is going to take a while."

"Filthy master calls Kreacher, yes he does." The old elf complained much to Harry's shock and a little amusement. "Master comes back home where he broke Mistress's heart and now sitting down with little half-blood. Oh, Kreacher knows of Harry Potter, Kreacher does. The boy who stopped the Dark Lord but Kreacher not know how. Kreacher wonders how and why ungrateful master is sitting with the half-blood."

Harry didn't know whether to be impressed by the creature's rant or worried in a house-elf believing in blood purity.

"NOW, Kreacher!" Sirius snarled.

The elf nodded and snapped his gnarled fingers to make two unopened bottles appear on the table in front of Harry and a bottle of Ogden's Finest with a glass for Sirius. The strange elf popped away and the Marauder shook his head sadly and explained.

"He was my mother's elf. Fanatically devoted to her and the way she saw things. Since I grew up nothing like her he enjoyed making my life hell. Even as Head of House he still does it."

"Head of House?"

"Yeah... and we're back to why I asked you about Families." Sirius ran his hand over his face in exasperation, the anger back in voice even if it was muted. He poured a glass of firewhiskey, threw it back in one gulp, and topped the glass up again. "But I think you need to hear my story first, okay kiddo?"

"Sure, Sirius - "

"Padfoot. Call me Padfoot, pup. I'd like that."

"Okay, Padfoot." Harry remembered the name from the Marauder's Map although the way Sirius asked made it seem that it held more meaning than a simple nickname. The smile he got in return was worth the fear he had felt earlier. It was a smile of pride from an adult.

"As you know, I'm a Black. I am Sirius Orion Black, son of Orion Black and Walburga Black née Black, Scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." Sirius smiled ruefully at the pompous wording that he had always fought against. "Yes, my mother was a Black before she married my father and I'll explain all about everything else I just said soon.

"The Families can trace their linages deep into Wizard history and were the ones who came together with Merlin to form the wizard Council. Today it's called the Wizengamot. There's a lot of history involved that we'll cover another time but right now the important part is that a lot of the Families have a motto that travels down through the generations. For the Blacks it's _Toujours Pur_ – Always Pure – but my parents, especially my dear mother, took it to mean purity of blood and joyfully fell in with Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. When I was growing up my parents pushed the idea of a Pure-blood being better than everyone, Muggles and Muggle-borns especially."

Sirius saw the distaste on Harry's face and laughed.

"Do you know what the official, legal, definition of a Pure-blood is, Harry?" Harry shook his head in negative. "The bigots won't tell anyone this, and it's hidden deep inside the laws so it can't be easily found now, but it's when your family up to your grandparents are all Pure-blood wizards. That's it. Three generations of Wizards marrying Witches without any Muggle relations and you've got a new Pure-blood family line. It won't be one of the Families, but they'll be officially classed as Pure-blood by the Ministry and society.

"The problem with society is that blood prejudice has become so deeply rooted that it's all forgotten. One way or another." Sirius' sneer as he took a sip showed his feelings towards those who didn't remember. Harry was captivated by the passion in his godfather's voice that he hadn't yet touched his own drink. "One night Lily gave us all a lecture about the blood issues in the Muggle world and how things were changing to be more welcoming to those who were different. She wanted us to see that even if we lost to Voldemort that someone, eventually, would come along and defeat him. It gave us the inspiration that we were doing the right thing."

"She sounds like Hermione…" Harry murmured, green eyes bright with hunger at hearing something of his parents.

"In a way she was." Sirius agreed. "And in a bigger way she wasn't. Lily was not only incredibly smart but she was also full of life and love. She had a lot of friends in school and, while there wasn't a problem she wasn't able to find the answer to in some book, she would often find a better one inside her head. From what I saw, Hermione hordes knowledge like a dragon with gold and sees it as the be all, end all. Your mum never did that, Harry. She saw knowledge and information as the means to a end, a support structure for free thinking."

Harry thought it over and had to agree with the way Sirius was subtly pointing out Hermione's flaws. His best friend loved her books, perhaps too much, and you definitely didn't want to be the one arguing that something written down was wrong. And Hermione's other issue...

"What about authority? What was mum like with them?" He asked, remembering their fight over the Firebolt.

"Let me guess, Hermione's first thought is to run to a teacher and yours is to handle it yourself?" Sirius cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment, then smiled at a memory when Harry nodded. "Your mum would go to a teacher if she had to, Pup. She'd tell them what she needed to in order to get things done. Despite the help Dumbledore gave Remus with his condition, she was never the headmaster's biggest fan and she also knew how to handle things herself too. By the end of Seventh Year she was our fifth Marauder."

"Anyway." Sirius shook himself down to focus his mind. "My family was obsessed with blood purity and me being the oldest son it was my responsibility to follow in their beliefs. I didn't, Harry. I fought against the bigotry and insanity with everything I was..."

Harry listened, growing ever more horrified at what his godfather had been put through. He was told of the years Sirius spent protecting his younger brother Regulus from their mother's ire, the many punishments that he took when he argued back or when little Reggie questioned why rather than accepted what had been preached. Harry listened and felt himself in Sirius place, had _been_ in Sirius' place. Or rather Harry was coming to the understanding that Sirius had been in his place growing up.

Then the story moved onto the Hogwarts years, the loss at the connection between the brothers made worse by their separation in Gryffindor and Slytherin and finally the big fight that had forced Sirius to leave home and move in with James and the elder Potters. That Sirius' own mother had ended up using the Cruciatus curse on him before trying to beat him beyond death's door was as shocking as the Marauder's iron will in Apparating to the Potter's property and walking up the long path to the front door.

Harry understood what his godfather was doing and still couldn't stop the memories of his own childhood from rearing up. As Sirius finished his tale Harry began his own, tears cried by both men at the harshness of their lives and the tattered remains of what could only laughably be called a childhood they shared. Harry ended his story curled in Sirius' arms, the older man rocking him back and forth as invisible wounds finally had the chance to heal for the very first time.

"Harry." Sirius softly said. "I heard a lot of rumours about your first two years. I need you to tell me what really happened."

Harry pulled back, smiling weakly to show he would be okay, and did as asked. He was too raw to really hide anything now. Truth be told, the Hogwarts years were far easier to talk about even with the him being an outcast in second year than what he had just shared. Sirius took everything in the same way he had when Harry spoke about his life with the Dursleys. Not even Harry being a parselmouth fazed his godfather. When Harry finished explaining the time travel rescue Sirius could only sigh at what his godson had been through.

He pulled out a wand and cast a _Tempus_ spell, the result shocking them both when it was revealed that it was almost eleven at night. They had been talking for hours and both were emotionally drained.

"Right," Sirius nodded to himself and his eyes hardened with determination. "A few more things before you go. First, why in Merlin's name did you pick Care and Divination?"

"Padfoot?" Harry blinked in confusion at the intensity of the question.

"We both know the reason, Harry. What I want is for you to say it, accept it, and then tell me if that's what you want for your life from now on."

A part of Harry, a big part that he had been listening to for years, tried to pretend to be confused and answer that of course Care of Magical Creatures and Divination were what he wanted to do. He didn't know whether it was the cleansing talk or the exhaustion that came from it but he made the decision to ignore the voice and do what Padfoot had asked.

"I took the easy answer when we had to fill out the option," he answered truthfully. "I remember thinking that if I failed then at least I'd have a Ron with me."

"And?" Sirius prompted.

"And..." Harry took a deep breath and saw a chance to do something different that merely survive. He had been forced to come face-to-face with how much the Dursleys influenced his life as a wizard and Harry found he didn't like the person he had allowed himself to become. "And I regret it. I want to be true to myself for once and not let the way I survived primary school to hold me back. I always loved maths so Arithmancy sounds like it would be perfect for me, especially from how much Hermione raves about it. And whenever I've seen her notes on Ancient Runes my fingers have been itching to pick them up to know what's going on."

"Good!" Sirius exclaimed happily, clapping eagerly. "Lily was a Charms Mistress and a potions genius but she could take apart and put together a spell or rune system better than anyone I've ever known. Runes is in the Potter blood too even though James' first love was Transfiguration. I'll get you some books on the two and if you study hard enough you could take an exam when you go back to Hogwarts to show you're ready for Fourth Year material. But this is only if it's what you really want, Pup. I refuse to make you into someone you're not."

Harry beamed at Sirius and was filled with enthusiasm. It was possibly his first real choice that he had made to his own benefit and the fact he had a parental figure so obviously proud of him for following his own mind was something new and intoxicating.

"Now, last things for tonight." Sirius went back into the bag and pulled out a small wooden box and what looked like a pocket watch. He opened the first and showed Harry that it was full with different coloured potions. "I saw how small you were and guessed your Dursley life wasn't as good as it should have been. Once the box is locked only the Map's password can open it. It's got an unbreakable charm on the off chance those animals try destroying it. There are two different potions here and don't worry, you aren't the only one that's on them."

Harry frowned at the last part and Sirius sighed, the pain of his Azkaban years coming to the fore.

"See, people aren't always in Azkaban for life. When a prisoner comes out they're given a schedule of potions that gives them back a healthy body. You're still older than you went in and the mental scars don't go away with a quick shot of magic but physically you're able to be in society again without scaring everyone away."

"But you should be taking these!" Harry cried out.

"I am." Sirius promised. "I got these from the goblins. Mine will have me physically healthy in a month, that's the usual time-frame for something like this, but with you I asked that the potions spread the changes out so they'll finish their work at the end of the summer. You still only have to take the same number of potions as me and this way it looks to everyone else like a growth-spurt rather than anything magical. The red ones have to be taken once a day for the month and they'll repair bones, muscles, maybe even your eyesight if your eyes are doable."

"My eyes?" Harry was in awe. Why hadn't he wondered if magic could fix his sight? _That's right,_ he thought. _Because I had my head buried in the sand._

"Yep." Sirius grinned back. "James had a genetic thing so he couldn't get his fixed until his mid-twenties. If yours is the same problem then you won't notice any changes or it might not be and you could be without the glasses by the time you return to school. I'll put a spell on your glasses so that they automatically update your prescription. It's a spell I had to learn for James in case he lost his and we had to transfigure an emergency set."

Harry thought about the idea of having better vision. Even if his eyes didn't get any better, Sirius' spell would still allow him to see better then he could right then. From the horrors of earlier he was feeling the high of being loved and cared for. He forced himself to listen as Sirius continued.

"The blue potion will help you put on muscle. You have to work out and run so your body knows what to do with the muscle. Once you stop working out you stop growing muscles even if you keep taking the potion. If you run in the mornings and join me in the exercise room that this tent has then we can give you the body you should have had all these years."

Harry took the box with reverence, the thrill of having a body that wasn't the result of the Dursleys 'love and care' caused his heart to beat wildly in his chest and he almost missed what Sirius said next.

"And this is an old family heirloom." Sirius showed him the gold pocket watch with what he assumed was the Black coat of arms on the cover. Two greyhounds rampant charged with a chevron, two five-pointed stars in the shield with a short sword blade upwards.

Sirius pushed a button and it sprung open to reveal what Harry could only describe as a work of moving art with the golden arms and intricately designed hour marks. Harry was sure it would be the most expensive thing he'd ever possessed. Another button was pushed and the watch face snapped out and hung down from the casing to reveal a small, familiar looking hourglass underneath.

"That looks like... that's a..." Harry stammered.

"That's right, kiddo." Sirius grinned like the schoolboy of years past. "The Black family time-turner, possessed by the Head of House and given to the heir Black when in need, last seen in the possession of my grandfather Arcturus Black. It's blood-tied to the Black line and I want you to have it. Arcturus' cousin was James' mother Dorea Potter née Black. Trust me, you have enough Black blood to qualify for its ownership."

Harry tried everything he could to refuse the gift until Sirius had him examine why he didn't want it. After admitting he felt he didn't deserve such a special object, Sirius was having none of it.

"Listen, Harry." The Marauder demanded. "This tent is under strong notice-me-not and anti-muggle charms. I'm planning on being here the entire summer teaching you everything you should have been told about the Wizarding World, your family and where you come from. You're being left ignorant from too many things that are important and everyone who should notice that you are lacking this knowledge are failing you by not giving it. I want you to use the watch so you can spend your days here _and_ at the house doing your homework or any other study I think you need to. I'll have Pepper-up potions ready for you to use so you can handle the extra work so you won't burn yourself out. That is if you want to do this?"

Sirius' speech petered out into a shy question laced with fear and Harry realised that the plan was also a way of giving the two their chance to connect. Harry answered the only way he could, by tackling his godfather in a huge hug and taking the watch. They said their goodnights, Sirius giving Harry a strange set of instructions and then Harry left to get to Number Four. He spun back the number of hours he had been told and went to his room, mirror-calling Sirius to say that he was safe and that the Animagus could now leave the tent to pick up the younger Harry. With that piece of confusing closed-loop time-travel over with, Harry sat down to work on his summer homework with a sense of purpose his teachers would never believe.

oOoOo


	2. Breaking the Habit of a Life-time

**AN:** Chapters two and three ended up being too long so I've chopped them up into more manageable chunks. Enjoy!

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Breaking the Habit of a Life-time

 _19_ _th_ _June, 1994_

Harry woke from a deep, peaceful sleep and as he stared up at the blank ceiling, he wondered if he had experienced one better when staying at Privet Drive. He had done his best to make inroads to his homework the previous evening but knew most of it would need to be redone. The excitement over spending time with Sirius had kept him buzzed long after the time-turned hours should have caught up with him.

His musings at the ceiling were distracted by the beautiful gaze of Hedwig staring down at him from the headboard. The snowy owl gave him a weighty look and Harry felt it reaching into his soul to judge the new Harry Sirius was going to help him become. She gave a happy, approving hoot and then puffed her chest feathers when he reached up to stroke her.

"Thanks girl." Harry replied with love for his very first friend. "I'll have letters for Ron and Hermione when I get back from my run. Fancy some flying?"

Her excited hoot and nodding had just the right energy to demand Harry get up, take his run and write the letters already so she could get a-going! Harry laughed at his best friend's enthusiasm and climbed out of the lumpy bed, pulling on the best hand-me-down clothes he had for running.

Harry lifted the loose floorboard and withdrew the special box Sirius had given him. He ran his fingers over the smooth wood finish and took a good look at the designs he had noticed on the sides. The wood was carved in two Family crests; one with two rampant dogs with the saying _Toujours Pur_ beneath the shield while the other was similar with two skinny winged horses with the saying _Toujours Debout_ beneath its shield. He made a mental note to ask Sirius about the crests later.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

The box opened and Harry quickly took his morning potions, the excitement at having a healthy body overriding the horrible tastes. He put the empty vials back in the spots and carefully hid the box away. With the new morning ritual set Harry slipped quietly out of the house to begin his jog.

The Dursleys were on a diet after Dudley's school nurse had complained about Harry's whale of a cousin's health and Petunia had decided the entire house was to suffer along with the spoilt brat. This meant that it was a grapefruit breakfast waiting for Harry when he got back and, knowing his aunt, it would still be smaller than Dudley's. Harry wasn't too upset though. He didn't think Sirius would let him go without proper food. He was far from needing to lose weight but knew the healthy aspect of the meals could actually help his body in its rebuilding.

Harry had decided that he needed to focus on both speed and endurance with his training. To him, wizards were inherently lazy and Quidditch simply wasn't a good enough sport for physical fitness. In his fight with the basilisk he barely had any energy by the end. It was this that Harry would constantly remind himself of during the rest of the summer when exhaustion and pain wavered his determination.

At the end of the jog he was sweating, struggling to breathe against the pain of a stitch, and feeling better than he thought possible. Harry would always have a connection to running from his young years being chased by Dudley and although the adrenaline rush wasn't as high as when he went flying, it was still a good feeling that flowed through him. A quick shower later and Harry was sitting at his broken desk writing letters to his friends.

The one to Ron was both easy and frustrating at the same time. Harry had always found it difficult to write long letters to his best mate and he wondered if it was due to Ron's own short missives. A brief mention to settling in okay, the house-wide diet and questions asking how the other Weasleys were doing. Harry set aside the small paragraph and turned the one for Hermione.

He had decided during the jog to hold back on telling either about his time with Sirius. Harry didn't believe anyone would look for the escaped convict Sirius Black so close to Privet Drive and he had a feeling that Dumbledore expected his godfather to have vanished rather than stick around. He hoped that as long as they were careful not to be seen together, and Harry told no one, then there was minimal chance of him losing his family now that he had found it.

Which was all fine but left Harry floundering at what to write to Hermione so that she didn't get suspicious. After a few minutes thinking he decided to keep to as much truth as possible and so mentioned his decision to work on his health, bringing up the enforced diet as a ready-made excuse. He also asked for her notes on Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, saying how her enthusiasm on the subjects had made him curious. Harry knew she wouldn't be able to resist sending him as much material as poor Hedwig would be capable of carrying.

Harry had felt the slight twinge of regret at not telling his friends about Sirius but his new focus on being true to himself came with having to be brutally honest as well. Harry was reasonably sure he knew what to expect from Ron's pathological jealousy and inferiority complex and knew that both would show up come the new Hogwarts year. Although whether it was from his improved appearance or his increased proficiency at classwork that caused the biggest explosion of the redhead he could only guess.

Harry had also begun to notice people in _that_ way and knew a healthier body would do wonders for his confidence in dealing with girls.

Speaking of girls. Hermione's obsession with knowing everything was matched by her need to go to authority figures while Harry's past had shown him how unreliable most adults were. Professor McGonagall had ignored them in first year, second year was an entire mess of disappointments from all the teachers in how they handled the school turning on him and even Professor Lupin had disappointed Harry in his crass comment of failing to honour his parents deaths by sneaking out to Hogsmeade. To Harry, Sirius showing up the day before was the first time an adult had followed through with their responsibility to him and he knew that Hermione couldn't understand that. Perhaps wouldn't even try to. Instead she'd want him to tell her everything and then make sure Professor Dumbledore knew as much as possible to give the situation his blessing. Keeping Dumbledore ignorant of everything happening over the summer was too important for _that_ fight.

As Harry signed the much longer letter he felt a sadness pushing at his thoughts and wondered what the changes the summer promised would do to his two friendships.

"Take your time, Hed." He told his familiar and he tied the letters to her waiting leg. "There's no rush and you're better off going to Hermione last so you can wait for her reply. Be safe girl."

Hedwig hooted her assurances and then flew out the bedroom window to leave Harry alone. He scooped up the pocket watch and, with a smile that was only partly forced, went to spend time with his godfather. As Harry approached the tent-that-wasn't-a-tent he was surprisingly met by not Sirius but instead a very familiar looking elf.

"Master Harry Potter Sir has come just like Master Harry Potter Sir's dogfather said he would!" The little elf exclaimed, his bat-like ears flapping away happily as he bounced in place and Harry was distracted by his sock hanging precariously off one ear. "Dobby bes happy to serve Master Harry Potter Sir's breakfast if Master Harry Potter Sir woulds be liking some?"

Harry blinked slowly. He wondered how the little bugger had said everything he had in one breath and then wondered if the sentence would make more sense once he ate something substantial. His stomach announced its agreement to test the theory with a loud rumble.

"Sure Dobby." He answered brightly, following the elf to the tent's kitchen area. "Then you can tell me what you're doing here and where my... _dogfather_... is."

"The second one's easy, Pup." Sirius laughter announced him from deeper in the tent just before the older man appeared through a doorway. "You aren't the only one who needs to work out in the mornings."

Sirius was wearing loose bottoms and a plan short-sleeved top that was plastered to his chest from sweat. His grey eyes gained vitality as the sight of Harry chased back the ghosts of Azkaban.

The two sat down to a veritable feast of Dobby's making and Harry noticed that it was all stuff he enjoyed. He gave the elf a suspicious sidelong glance and was rewarded with Dobby lowering his head in shyness.

"I know that look!" Sirius grinned around the remains of a fried egg. "Lily would get it the minute she caught one of us about to pull a prank. But don't worry Pup, there's a good reason for all of this."

Harry nodded and Dobby popped away to leave the two filling the rest of the meal with light-hearted conversation. Harry went over the enjoyment he felt from his run and Sirius mentioned his own reaction with the way his exercises had the Marauder feeling. Soon Harry was laughing as Sirius told him a story of when he was being fed as a baby.

"So there we were." He grinned at his godson. "Lily and James covered in your food, the table covered in your food and me perfectly clean. You were shouting 'Pafoo's foo'! Pafoo's foo'!' at the top of your little lungs. Lily got me back though. She cast a switching spell that had you enjoying my dinner and me having yours and stuck me to the chair until I finished it!"

The laughter filled the tent and the two were still grinning like fools as it settled down. Harry felt his connection to Sirius grow even more. The story being another gift from his godfather and, in a relaxed mood, called out for the vanished elf.

"Dobby, is there anything you want to tell me?" Harry asked once Dobby had popped back.

"Well Master Harry Potter Sir-"

"Call me Harry, Dobby. You're a friend."

"The great Harry Potter frees Dobby then calls Dobby friend?" The elf's eyes widened to an almost comical effect before he launched himself at Harry's legs. Small arms and legs wrapping tightly around the limb. "Dobby is not worthy of serving the great Harry Potter Sir, no Dobby is not."

"Sirius?" Harry pleaded with the Marauder who had let loose with his trademark barking laughter at the bizarre predicament.

"I'm guessing you don't know anything about house elves?" Sirius sighed when the answer was a negative. "They're incredibly useful, powerful and to the right person or family intensely loyal. But they need a Wizarding family to have a bond with. Otherwise they start losing their magic and eventually die, sometimes going crazy first. Like Kreacher."

"Kreacher?"

At his name the old and faithful house-elf of House Black appeared with his own pop and gave the remaining food on the table and the hysterical Dobby equally dirty looks.

"My family's house-elf." Sirius sighed.

"Filthy Master's little half-blood calls Kreacher." The older elf grumbled while giving Harry a disgusted scowl. "What is little half-blood doing calling Kreacher if he has his own elf. Filthy little elf for filthy little Harry Potter, yes it is."

"Who are yous to call the great Harry Potter Sir a filthy half-blood?" Dobby screeched, pulling himself away from Harry's leg to give Kreacher a murderous glare. "Great Harry Potter Sir frees Dobby from evil old masters. Dobby will show nasty Kreacher whose has the better master."

"Wait!" Harry cried out as he dropped to his knees between the two elves before they could start fighting. "Dobby you don't have to do that, it's fine."

"And Kreacher," he said turning to the older elf. "I didn't call you but thank you for coming. It sounds like your old masters believed in blood purity but I hope one day I can show you that being a half-blood isn't the bad thing it's been made out to be."

"Half-blood Harry Potter thanks Kreacher for coming?" Kreacher looked stunned at Harry's words and twisted his knobbly fingers together. "Not even Mistress thanked Kreacher in the end. Kreacher don't know what to think of filthy master's little one."

"That will be all Kreacher." Sirius commanded, voice firm with no room for arguing after the elf's last sentence. The tone not matching the shocked look on his face.

"Kreacher's always been a different case." The Animagus told Harry once the elf in question had vanished away and Harry had regained his seat. "My mother's programming had him half crazy to begin with and I hated him growing up. When I was in Azkaban and everyone living in the house died, it left him without anyone there to serve except my mother's painting."

Sirius sighed and leaned back, rubbing a hand over his drawn face. The foundations of his childhood having taken a knock. "I've never seen him act that way before..."

"I guess he needs something to challenge your mother's beliefs." Harry offered with a shrug, not really understanding the small miracle that had been achieved.

"Maybe." Sirius threw off the confusion as if the subject meant little to him. "After you left yesterday I called your friend here. He's another special case since he wanted to be free even though it's considered a disgrace and he would die. What the other elves don't know is that Dobby wants to only bond with one wizard and is willing to wait until that happens rather than find a new family."

"Me?" Harry croaked fearfully, starring into the pleading eyes of Dobby. "But what if I didn't know? You could have died waiting to be my elf."

"Dobby be knowing this Master Harry Potter Sir. Dobby knows Master Harry Potter Sir bes worth it."

"And you want to be my house-elf?" Harry had no clue what to do with a house-elf but he could intimately relate to the poor creature. As Harry had saved Dobby from a horrible life with the Malfoys, so Sirius was in the process of saving him from a horrible life with the Dursleys. The hero-worship was perfectly understandable from Harry's perspective.

"Oh yeses Master Harry Potter Sir!" Dobby cried out, jumping up and down with excitement. The one-socked ear waving energetically at Harry momentarily distracted the young mage. Sirius' grey eyes followed it's bounce like a dog eyeing a toy. "Master Harry Potter Sir wants Dobby as his elf?"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed knowing that the 'Master Harry Potter Sir' was going to get exhausting very quickly.

"I'll take you as my house elf only if you agree to my rules. Okay, Dobby?"

Dobby answering nodding was so furious that Harry was a little scared his head would come flying off any moment and quickly went through the rules.

"Under no circumstances are you to ever punish yourself." He began, remembering the horrible punishments Dobby had self-inflicted two years previous. "If you feel you've done something wrong then you'll come to me, explain everything and wait for me to say what should happen. You're my friend, not my slave."

Harry didn't know if it was the Dobby's magic or the force of the impact, but when the elf threw himself into his arms to accept the wonderful opportunity to be part of the great Harry Potter Sirs family, they fell backwards off the chair. The two bodies and one piece of furniture landed with a thump that was followed by Sirius' loud laughter and another thud as his godfather followed, too caught up in the hysterics to maintain his own balance.

"So how do we do this, Dobby?" Harry was eventually able to ask.

"Oh Master Harry Potter Sir has already made it so. Its bes all intent to take Dobby as yous house elf."

Harry smiled and the two managed to pull themselves upright where Dobby clicked his fingers to restore the chair for his great Harry Potter Sir to sit on. Sirius was climbing back to his own feet and theatrically wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

"That was beautiful, Pup. Truly beautiful."

"Stuff it, Padfoot." Harry in a show of maturity stuck out his tongue. "Want to explain what I've done?"

"You bonded to a house elf without knowing what it meant?" Sirius exclaimed and shook his head with a hint of exasperation. "We definitely need you to be less Gryffindor and more Slytherin."

"Don't look at me like that!" Sirius defended himself from the glare Harry sent his way. "If being Slytherin keeps you alive then I don't care if you act like the Crown Prince of the Snake-pit itself."

Harry had to concede his godfather's point and then mentally winced as he imagined Hermione's reaction when she found out what he'd done.

"Dobby will answer your call and provide whatever you need when you need it. He'll keep your secrets, look after your home if you had one and can do errands when you can't get out or if it's too dangerous."

Harry's thoughts raced at the knowledge and then he smiled at the idea of no longer being cut off from the rest of the Wizarding world.

"But now I want to talk to you about my plans for the rest of the summer." Sirius nodded to Dobby who then snapped his fingers, making the breakfast remains vanish and a small stack of books to appear in their place. "The top two books are on Occlumency. It's a branch of mind magic that allows you to protect yourself and keep people from reading your thoughts.

"Without this," Sirius knuckle-tapped the stack. "Someone could pick out your innermost thoughts and I know Snape is proficient in getting inside people's heads."

Harry pulled a face at the thought of his hated Potions Professor strolling through his thoughts and made a promise to work on the skill as much as possible.

"The learning is mostly meditation and solo work unless you need advice," Sirius continued seriously. "So you can do it after your homework at the Dursleys and in the mornings before you come here. Don't be afraid to ask questions either, I may not be an Occlumens Master but I know the theory enough to teach it. It's sort of a Black legacy."

Sirius took a moment to look at Harry, his heavy look delving deep into the boy's soul. There was a moment of indecision in the Marauder's manner but with a controlling release of air he carried on.

"The second set of books are what I promised last night. With them you'll have enough material to not only get to your required level in both subjects but move ahead if you find them as enjoyable as you think you will." Sirius paused and was happy to see the grateful look Harry gave back. Things were going as good as Sirius had hoped when he came up with the plan. "I want you to join me every morning in the exercise room back there so we can work on our fitness together. I can't actually teach you any practical magic here so instead I'm planning on teaching you everything you need to know about our world. That means our culture, our history, the who, when, where, why and how you're expected to act in situations.

"More importantly I'll teach you everything I know about the Black and Potter Families. When you time-turn back you can do your homework then go back over your old books to make sure you understand all the theory and if you don't, I'll teach you what you need there as well. Hopefully by the summer's end you'll be in sight of how you should have been raised."

Sirius looked at his godson and took a deep, calming breath. He understood that the schedule was intense and would seem a torture to the old, lazy Harry but he was hoping that he would be able to push his godson past the resistance.

"This is the important part, Pup." He finished. "I know how crazy this all sounds and I'm only going to do it if you want to. We can spend the entire summer wasting our time if that's what you want but after last night..."

"No, no," Harry interrupted, arms waving to ward off that train of thought. He wasn't too sure about the history lessons but everything else sounded exactly what he needed to know. He wanted to know about his family and it also meant the two of them would connect on more than just pranks and laughter. "I want this, Sirius. I really do. How do you know so much about both Families?"

"James and I were third cousins." Sirius explained, the lost look returning to his eyes whenever he thought of the past. "We became brothers in all but blood but that was almost academic with his mother being a Black. I had you named my heir when you were born. Since I won't be taking my place as Lord Black, when you reach your age of majority – when the Wizarding world considers you an adult - you'll earn the title of Lord Potter and Regent Black."

"Lord Potter?" Confusion written clearly on Harry's face.

"Not yet, Pup." The man who should have been Lord Black answered, shaking his head in repeated exasperation at Harry's lack of education. His own Occlumency was in full force to keep angry thoughts at Dumbledore's lack of effort to a minimum. "I have an important question to ask before any of that. It's probably the most important thing you'll ever be asked and it feeds in to everything I've planned out for us this summer."

Sirius paused to make sure Harry understood the weight of what he was about to say. "Who are you and who do you wish to be?"

"I don't know what you mean, Sirius."

"When I was fourteen-fifteen, I was Sirius Orion Black, lost child to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, beloved brother of James Potter, Remus Lupin and even Peter Pettigrew." The Marauder spat out the last name. "I hated everything and anything that reminded me of my family or to do with Slytherin house. Dark Arts? A horror that should never be thought about let alone taught. Slimy Snakes? They were all the same and needed to be put down with the harshest, most cruel pranks I could devise. I was filled with hatred and bigotry to match any Pure-blood. Only instead of towards anyone not the right sort, it was aimed at what I grew up with. I was arrogant, a bully and a man who looked at women as notches on my headboard only. So I ask you, Harry, who are you? Who are you _really_?"


	3. Cementing the Changes

Cementing the Changes

 _19th June, 1994 – Wizard's tent near Privet Drive_

"...So I ask you, Harry, who are you? Who are you _really_?"

Harry sat back in his chair and it took a few minutes for him to fully absorb what Sirius had described. If anyone had asked him what his godfather had been like as a teenager then the things he had heard that day would not be it. It also made made Harry question what type of boys the other Marauders had been in befriending the young Sirius. The description painfully reminded Harry of the Weasley boys; a more vicious version of the twins combined with Ron's potentially aggressive anti-Slytherin attitude had him mentally shuddering. The feeling of disgust made worse by knowing that it was essentially how the Marauders were if Sirius was to be believed.

Then Harry remembered his godfather's comment about being the Slytherin Prince if it meant he stayed alive and realised what was being asked. He knew Sirius' life, knew how his own mirrored enough for Harry to be someone he couldn't face in the mirror.

"I am Harry James Potter." He began gingerly, running a hand through his hair in an unconscious attempt to calm himself. "I don't know about that House of Potter stuff. I'm the Boy-Who-Lived and I hate the title. It's a constant reminder that I lost my parents; not that I somehow triumphed over Voldemort. I'm best friends with Hermione Granger and best mate with Ronald Weasley. I hate bullies so I'm always fighting with Draco Malfoy. No one in school knows I would have been in Slytherin if it hadn't been for Draco's attitude or me worried about losing Ron's friendship. I do my best to hide my ambition and intelligence, I let Hermione dictate rather than argue and do my best not to push her for grades in case it drives her away. I'm a drifter. I let things happen to me rather than taking charge unless I feel there's no other choice and no one in Hogwarts or out knows the real me."

Sirius made sure to give Harry a comforting and loving look throughout the monologue and never to appear disappointed in what Harry was saying. Harry was surprised when the silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. He realised that everything he had said was merely a summary of they'd spoken of the day before. The liberating speech had already been known to his godfather and that was partly where the heavy summer schedule had came from.

"Thank you, Pup. It's not easy to criticise yourself like that." Sirius smiled and reached across the table to grasp Harry's hand in a comforting squeeze. He released it once Harry gave a reassuring, if weak, smile. Two glasses and a jug of pumpkin juice appeared on the table, presumably from Dobby, and Sirius took a quenching gulp of his. "Now let me tell you about our Families. I told you about how my parents took the Blacks' motto _Toujours Pur_ to mean about blood. My grandfather Arcturus was the last of us who followed its true meaning. It was never about blood purity but the purity of the House to its own. Of family. The House of Black was never to be bowed or broken by an outsider and when one of us was in trouble, it would be down to the entire Family to protect the weak one. In the Wizengamot, our government, political leanings are split along Light, Neutral or Grey, and Dark, with the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black as the bridge between the Grey and Dark factions. Are you following?"

"I think so." Harry answered truthfully. "Sometimes I feel that I'm what holds Ron and Hermione together because they can get into arguments over the smallest thing and never agree no matter how much they go at it. The House of Black sounds like it did the same for those two sides."

"Very similar." Sirius beamed with pride at his godson's connection. "And mirroring House Black used to stand the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter who did the same between the Light and Grey factions. The Potters have the motto _Toujours Debout_ , Always Standing. It's a similar attitude as well. Family first, innocents second and the enemy last. At the height of their political power the Blacks and Potters had enough connections that they could run the Wizengamot if they wished to."

Harry whistled in awe. He liked the original meaning of the Black motto and his chest swelled when he heard the Potters'. It matched up to how he wanted to live his life. The Light, Dark and Grey parts confused him and so he asked Sirius what they really meant.

"You've raised a really good point, Harry." Sirius' fingers drummed a soft beat on the table as he took time to really think over his answer. "Right now the Light faction is led by Dumbledore and they champion truth, justice and progressive vocal action to bring Muggle-borns and Half-bloods to a higher standard alongside the Pure-bloods but at the expense of the Old Ways. I say vocal action because from what I understand there hasn't been much political changes pushed through since the end of the war. Still, heritage and traditions are thrown aside in a mad rush to be modern even if that's only lip-service."

Harry took a deep gulp of his drink to wash away the bad taste of the war. He had heard enough about conflict when he was stuck in the cupboard and could feel the stirrings of his Dementor-induced memories.

"The Dark Families are right now all about Pure-blood obsession as we've talked about but originally they focused on the Old Ways. They followed our traditions and didn't want anyone new to come along and take away what has always worked. The Grey saw the potential for both sides and preferred a middle-road approach where the Wizarding world wasn't left behind while holding true to our past."

Harry was caught up in the telling. He never expected to find politics interesting yet with everything he had seen at Hogwarts much of what Sirius explained now made sense.

"So the Potters liked being modern without losing their heritage." Harry mused aloud as he connected the dots. "The Blacks preferred their traditions but weren't afraid of trying something new if they saw a benefit?"

"That's exactly right." Sirius gave another proud grin and toasted Harry's conclusion. "And Dark Magic is anything the Ministry wants to classify it as. Anything they don't like is Dark, regardless of what the magic actually does."

"But what about how things _are_?" Harry demanded. He had began to look at himself and his friends in terms of the Light, Grey and Dark that Sirius had described. Hermione was all the way into the Light, unable to accept the Wizarding world the way it was and always looking to change it. As far as Harry was concerned the Weasleys were split with Molly and Ron on the Dark end, never wanting to change while the twins loved to learn new things for their pranks. He felt he was very much Grey, wanting to take each situation on an individual basis.

"You'll like this part." Sirius gave him a lopsided grin that people might recognise as the same one Harry would give Hermione. "Lily did this entire presentation to us in seventh year when we decided to fight Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers. She wanted us to understand what we were fighting for and against."

Harry sat straighter as he realised he was about to be given an abridged version of his mother's own words.

"You've got White magic focusing on birth and creation spells, Black magic focusing on death and something she called entropy. Necromancy would be Black magic even though its classed as Dark by the Ministry. So with Light being about the healing arts, Grey is everything and anything in between the two."

"And the Dark Arts?" Harry wondered where they sat in the spectrum.

"The Dark Arts." Sirius sighed, the sound carrying with it years of regrets and pain. "The Dark Arts are the magics focusing solely upon deliberately and purposefully causing harm to another. The Unforgivables; the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra, the torture curse, Crucio, and the controlling curse, Imperio, all require you to truly _mean_ harm in order to cast perfectly. Lily said she'd found notes in the Potter archives that the Unforgivables are actually corrupted versions of original, Grey curses but she never mentioned it again so I don't know."

The lecture drifted off as Sirius fought away memories of lost years and Dobby took the opportunity to cause a small lunch to appear on the table for them to snack on. Harry was surprised to find he was hungry again and that they must have been talking for hours. Despite the topic Harry smiled at his little friend's attentiveness and was grateful for having the elf around.

"Now, I suppose you're wondering why I went on about this when I asked you about who you wanted to be?" Sirius said as he stirred himself back to the present, eagerly reaching for a sandwich. When Harry mumbled an affirmative around his own tasty mouthful the class continued. "James' parents, Charlus and Dorea, were very active in the Wizengamot alongside my grandfather, Arcturus. They were the last political heavy hitters of our world and were aiming to shape it into a place that found a balance between accepting new blood and keeping with our traditions. When Charlus died and Voldemort became active there wasn't enough power for the unofficial alliance between the two Houses to hold back the tide.

"You're the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry. You're famous before you get into politics which means already people would be willing to seek you out for your views to see if an alliance of self-interest could be formed. You have the celebrity spotlight to get your views out there, the Potter name to potentially make it stick in the Wizengamot and as my heir you would have the power of the Black name to aid you."

"Your heir?" Harry asked. "You mentioned that before, Sirius, but are you sure?"

"Who else would I name, Pup?" Sirius replied simply.

Harry caught the same look of sadness and secrets in his godfather's grey eyes that he kept spotting and tried facing it.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"A few things." Sirius sighed, shoulders hunching. "They're important to you, Harry, but also to me as well. Please trust me that I'll tell you before the year is out. But they're painful for me to talk about and I need time."

Harry nodded. He hated being kept in the dark but in the past two days Sirius had spoken about things Harry had never know. There was also the trust in shared secrets of their childhood that meant he could wait and give his godfather the time to either make do on the promise or let him down.

So instead he turned his mind over what he had learnt about the two Families and the potential Harry had in using his fame to make changes. As much as Harry had never liked being the Boy-Who-Lived, what if Sirius was right and he was able to make sure no one was forced to grow up as either of them had? Could he face the horror of publicity if it meant saving a magical child from future Dursleys? Could he enjoy being Just Harry at the expense of someone like Hermione or his even his mum, both brilliant Muggle-borns, having their chance to make something of their lives in the world taken away? Would he?

Harry didn't know if it was the Potter legacy in him but he knew the answers. He couldn't be that selfish. He wouldn't.

"Teach me what I have to know." He looked Sirius deep in the eyes, Killing Curse orbs meeting Storm grey, and answered the most important question. "Help me be that Harry James Potter."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Sirius took Harry's request as a challenge as only a Marauder could. The summer that followed would be the busiest in Harry's life since Hogwarts began; a complete whirlwind of education with both personal and physical growth. To Harry's credit, he accepted it all with a determined drive that would have put Hermione's exam revision to shame.

He would go for his morning jog, gradually building up his speed as well as stamina, before joining Sirius for a healthy but filling breakfast made by the elves. The two would spend two hours working in the tent's exercise room where Harry would religiously listen to the stories of his parents and the Marauders. Sirius' brutal honestly would continue and Harry learnt the good and bad of each; the arrogance and entitlement James Potter had when he walked into Hogwarts, the vicious bullying that Sirius' pranks could often become, the calm Remus and his own moments of intelligent snideness shared with the teenager and even about Lily's vicious temper and pure stubbornness.

Harry had grown up desperate for information on his history. It was a need that had been painfully denied in his three years at Hogwarts and Sirius was determined not to turn them into idyllic figures for Harry to worship.

After their workouts, often involve copious amounts of laughter from a prank (succeeding or failing seemed not to matter in the Marauder code) or yet another failed James attempt to woo the young Lily Evans, the lessons would begin. Sirius went over the past years and neither were surprised at how much Harry's natural intelligence had contributed to his decent grades considering how disruptive his adventures had been. With this rehashing of his education it took Harry no time to finish his homework at the Dursleys during the time-turned hours.

Neither felt up to visiting the main Potter vault, whose actual existence had surprised Harry, and so they sent the enthusiastic Dobby. The elf returned with James and Lily's personal notebooks to aid Harry's learning and give him that connection to his parents. Many tears were cried by both from the reading of the journals.

A positive result came when Harry looked through Lily's notes on potions and fell in love with the subject through her thoughts. He remembered how excited he was at learning a subject that so closely resembled his beloved cooking. To Sirius' delight he decided to take it back from the corrupted husk of a class that Snape had turned it into. Using the elves to do their shopping and magic to keep any accidents from becoming dangerous, the duo meticulously went through what Harry should have learned. While Harry wasn't the genius Lily had been, he found an ease in the brewing process he never would have dreamed of.

It was in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes where Harry found his calling. As he had guessed, Hermione had sent him much of her extracurricular work and he was pleasantly surprised to be capable of following her thinking on both subjects.

The summer wasn't all school studying. Sirius was determined to help Harry become the most well-rounded new Harry he could. There were weeks of social teachings ranging from what to do during Wizengamot meetings, important functions and even dance lessons. They both know that the summer, even with the extra hours given by the Black Watch, was best used to give Harry the strongest foundations possible in which they could expand upon the following year. But if learning to dance with Sirius had been slightly uncomfortable, it was nothing to the agonising days where he was forced to practice his interactions with the opposite sex on Dobby and Kreacher.

Harry's Occlumency shields took a battering at the embarrassment of the entire situation, often made worse by Sirius' barking laughter. Yet as the Animagus told him; _It ends up being about poise and confidence first, your personality second._ Harry would never admit to the truth in the statement but it didn't take many of the "lessons" to prove Sirius right.

Those moments weren't the only time laughter filled the tent. The Marauder refused to deny his godson the chance to laugh, especially if that meant having small prank wars. Harry was forced to conspire with Dobby and Kreacher in order for him to catch the Animagus out and this gave him the added benefit of learning more about the crabby and disrespectful house-elf.

Harry came to understand how deeply Kreacher's love and devotion for the House of Black was. With his beloved Mistress's bigoted views on blood purity and Sirius running away from home, it was even understandable why the little being was so against serving the new Head of House. It took many nights and fruitless attempts to have the elf accept that, while Walburga may have been a good Mistress, she hadn't been good for the House itself. This inner conflict was eased by learning that it was Harry's deepest wish to bring the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black back to the heights it used to be along with House Potter.

That desire was what eventually got Kreacher to give "the nasty little Half-blood" a chance.

Once Harry had brought Kreacher onside, the lessons of House Black took off with a fury unforeseen by Sirius as the elf brought them numerous hidden tomes containing Family history. Sirius saw the first book and took a gamble, asking if there were any involving House Potter within the Black home, and Harry was finally able to hold in his hands a true piece of his Family.

The two also planned out Harry's future within and outside Hogwarts. For once Harry had goals to how he wanted his life to go rather than simply bouncing from one day and event to the next.

Physically his body improved each day, the workouts filled Harry out into a more athletic build rather than the too-slender form he had been forced into having by the Dursleys. His eyes healed completely, though he did decide to wear a smarter pair of clear-glass frames as a tactical advantage. Sirius joked he could go "eye-naked" when he wanted to seduce a girl.

Petunia and Vernon were unhappily happy to leave Harry alone. The threat of his "mass murdering godfather" keeping an eye on him aiding their distance and Harry's improving looks and fitness made Dudley wary to push him too far. The entire family suspected Harry's _freakishness_ being behind the sudden changes.

In fact the main negative of the summer was his growing emotional distance towards Ron and Hermione.

Ron had never been what anyone could claim as consistent with his letters and that summer was no different. The small notes would sometimes have a less than friendly tone when Harry described his physical and school workouts. The first brought out confusion in the redhead, the second resulted in dismissive and derogative comparisons with Hermione for not only finishing the homework early but also giving himself more. Harry decided to wait on sharing his plan to change classes. There was only so much of Ron's attitude he could take.

Hermione, on the other hand, was pushing hard to find out the reason behind his shift in attitude. Harry had decided early to keep Sirius out of any letters he wrote to his friends. That he had finally found a true family caused his possessive and secretive side to rise in full force. It was then no surprise that Hermione refused to accept his excuse of having "too much time thinking" as the cause behind what she saw in his letters.

Sirius' unwavering support and Occlumency training had given Harry a sense of being fully accepted and he wondered what he would do when he was face to face with Ron's prejudice and her belief in always being right. The old Harry would have panicked. The new Harry merely shrugged with self-belief.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _31st July - 1st August, 1994_

Harry's birthday took away the depressing thoughts when he received the mound of food his friends had sent; Hermione with her sugar-free snacks, Hagrid's rock cakes that was more about the meaning and man behind them than the actual cakes themselves, and Molly Weasley with a relative feast compared to what he had suffered the summer after the Philosopher's Stone incident.

Harry and Sirius had a blast sharing the food, minus the rock cakes, and even managed to coax Dobby into enjoying some of Mrs Weasley's sweet goodness. The little fellow cried at how wonderful Master Harry Potter Sir and his dogfather were to treat an elf like Dobby.

Kreacher was far too dignified a house-elf to eat with his master and favourite Half-blood.

They spent the afternoon enjoying their drinks – Butterbeer for Harry, firewhiskey for Sirius – and taking a day off from all the work. When it was time for the gift-giving, Harry was beside himself with emotion at everything his godfather had already done for him. To the young Potter it was the biggest gift of all.

Sirius' argument was that the summer was about turning him into Lord Potter and Regent Black but they had yet to work on making him Marauder Harry. It was with a teary-eyed reverence that the Marauder's book on Animagus was passed to the next generation with the promise of not trying to go through the extensive process by their notes alone. An older, if not quite adult, supervision was agreed on.

The second gift of Harry's own wizard's tent was given in case he ever needed to run. Sirius was adamant that Harry wouldn't be caught floundering if life turned on his godson the way it had for him. The paranoia clashed with the last present and had Harry arguing about the older man's sanity.

"What are you thinking?" Harry demanded, the pride Sirius felt at his godson's forceful gaze probably not the reaction the young Potter had wanted to create. "You'll be spotted and..."

"Polyjuice, Pup!" Sirius' smirk was worse than his crazy grin and Harry was tempted to strangle it off his godfather's face. "With your new body we only have to glamour your hair and cover the scar. If I'm Polyjuiced then we can be two friends out for a day with no one the wiser. It's time you had a wardrobe suitable for the man you've become."

That point killed Harry's argument dead. Dudley's rags were worn by the Harry of the past, the one who cared nothing for his appearance or future. He was a different Harry and actually agreed he needed the clothes to prove it.

Which meant the next day they went on a shopping spree the likes of which Harry could never imagined. A taller, healthier Harry with mousy blond hair and make-up covering his scar walked through the wall to Diagon Alley with his Polyjuiced godfather. The expedition beginning at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

Up and down the aisles Sirius and the attractive helper went, picking out everything from high-end school robes and casual wear to every type of cut and design for social functions. Almost all in Acromantula silk. A follow-up trip to Twilfitt & Tatting's to get even more high-priced robes had Harry coming away with the type of wardrobe that would make some Pure-bloods green with envy.

Harry's mind spun at the scale of spending his godfather was doing, though when the backlog of thirteen years worth of gifts was mentioned he quickly stopped any complaints. The waiting time for the clothes allowed them to take their time with the rest of the day and from shop to shop they went, picking out whatever Sirius felt was important.

The discussions ended at the doors to Gringotts.

The Potters, like all important goblin clients, had a multi-room vault. This was something Harry should have been told on his first visit to the bank and Harry had felt his love and respect for Hagrid suffer when considering how badly the tall man had let him down that day.

After Harry provided a drop of blood for a new set of keys, the pair and their goblin guide headed deep into the bank. The first vault room was filled with Harry's inheritance and it was more money than he could comfortably imagine. He stayed away from the golden mounds having been warned by both Sirius and goblin of the perils of taking even a single coin out before he came of age. They gave the furniture room a cursory glance but Harry admitted it didn't capture his imagination given his current lack of a true home. He completely ignored the smaller rooms holding precious gems and artefacts and moved straight to the library section. House Potter had information on magic long forgotten that had Harry believing the rumour of only the Black Library being a possible match.

Their goal took them past many of the more esoteric titles, having Harry ignoring the Battle Magic and even side-stepping past the Potter Grimoire sitting proudly on its own plinth. Sirius took Harry to a bookcase that had bricks instead of books on its shelves and then stood back to allow the young Lord his space.

Harry had been told the story of when James had brought Sirius to the same spot and explained the magical protections hiding the books within.

 _Everything else here can burn._ The unusually serious James had told Sirius. _It can all be taken by our enemies but as long as this case stands so shall House Potter._

Harry, with heavy reverence, looked around and spotted the innocuous knife laying on one of the shelves. There was nothing special about the blade but from what Sirius had told him, that was part of the knife's magic.

He took a deep, steadying breath and took hold of the ebony handle. Immediately Harry could feel a great pressure building in the air. His magic rose from within to meet the presence inside the sharp ivory blade and he felt the unmistakable sense of being judged. An awareness brushed easily through his Occlumency shields as if they weren't there, reaching deep into Harry's mind to weight the person he was at his very core. Magic met magic, the soul of one Potter met the soul of the _First_ and autonomously Harry sliced his left palm. Centuries' old blood seeped out of the hilt, moving up the blade along the same vein-like path it had travelled countless times, to merge with the blood Harry had spilt.

A great gong rang out in the vault and, unknowing to the two inside, throughout the entirety of Gringotts itself. Further down the tunnel a second, almost joyous gong responded from within the Black vault and it too was heard through the bank.

The repercussions would be felt for decades to come.

Harry was unaware of all of this. The moment the gong sounded he felt the floor tilt out from beneath him and staggered in the attempt not to fall. The blooded palm hit dead centre of the bricked shelves and stuck. The blood spread out from beneath his hand, snaking out to the four corners of the bookcase and with a final _crack_ the protections vanished to reveal the secrets of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter.

The knife's presence faded from Harry's mind and he put the living weapon back in its spot. He now knew that it was a sentient guardian of his family, birthed from the intelligence and power from the _First_ of his blood and was as much a child of that unknown wizard as Harry was to James and Lily.

The revealed books were the true history of the Potter line; the good and bad, the greatest and worst moments, and creations born of his family's propensity for creativity. Harry knew that the theories and magics within some of the books were capable of levelling both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. But none of it was why he was there. Harry's goal was a small, innocent looking diary laying flat on the centre shelf waiting for him.

 _The Book_. Each and every Potter was to read and learn from it as they moved into adulthood and it was the very thing James had wanted to show Sirius so many years before in case the worst should happen.

"You're sure about this, Sirius?" Harry called over his shoulder nervously as he picked up the valuable book and slide it effortless into a pocket. The bookcase, sensing that its contents were no longer wanted, re-enacted its security and the brick wall re-materialised.

"James promised me, Harry." Came the awed answer. The reaction to Harry's blood had shaken both of them. "No one else can read it, no one else can take it from your hands without your permission and it even returns to you if you need it."

The two made a quick exit of the vault, both so lost in their own thoughts at what had happened that they failed to notice the looks they received from the goblins. As a way of getting over the experience, and to thank Sirius for everything he was doing for Harry, the young teen took them out for a delicious lunch in one of the many restaurants within Diagon Alley. By the time the bill was paid their happy moods had returned and Sirius' spoiling continued with the purchase of a multi-compartment trunk for all of Harry's needs.

After picking up the clothes and having the elves take everything bar _The Book_ back to the tent, they used the Black Watch to spin back a few hours and head into muggle London to continue the goal of turning Harry into a new man.

Nothing was off-limits to the Marauder who roped in the aid of a cute shop-assistant with his declaration of going from boxers upwards! Rather than let the moment get to him, Harry took his extracurricular education to practice his own flirting on the young woman. His new sense of self and confidence combined to have Harry comfortable in the experience by the end of the exhausting double-day. The sheer quality of shopping would also give Harry a new found understanding of how his dad could have been an arrogant jerk in his early years.

Reality would come crashing down on both Harry and Sirius closer to the start of Hogwarts with a frightful one-two combo.

.

.


	4. Dreams, Death Eaters and Draco, oh my!

**AN: Sorry for taking so long with this. Just so you know, I have first drafts up to the the First Task (Chapter 15 for now) and it's merely about time and beta reading it. Now that I'm back into writing/posting, I'm looking to put up at least a chapter a fortnight.**

 **shadowkat87: The big reveal will happen before the First Task. Unlike most gender swap/identity stories this one will force Harry to face the truth long before he changes.**

 **ademolix: The vault scene is my favourite part so far and came out of nowhere! It's not in my notes for that to happen at all. Also, sorry about filler, I've been using TGoF as a skeleton time-line so I end up fleshing things out rather than moving forward. I'll try keeping fillers to a minimum.**

 **ProudlyANoob: A good question. As of right now male Harry is straight but female Harry is leaning towards being bisexual.**

 **discb: Thanks for the review. Harry can pick up the Potter Grimoire and _the Book_. It's all to do with blood and the Black side of his blood has yet to be brought out.**

* * *

Dreams, Death-Eaters and Draco, oh my!

 _20_ _th_ _August, 1994. - Privet Drive_

The Harry James Potter who had watched his grandfather fly off on Buckbeak's back was long gone by the time Harry and Sirius' comfortable routine was broken by the outside world.

Harry's smaller framed glasses, no prescription required, let his eyes show through much more than the old, bulky pair. While his Potter hair was as messy as always, it was beginning to take on a 'Just had the best shag of my life' look that the older Potter men were famed for, and the combination worked well with his sharpening features.

The tiny waif body had been rebuilt into a strong 5 foot 7 frame with athletic muscles. Sirius' physical lessons had put a smoothness into Harry's movements. The seeds of him becoming a powerful and dangerous man had been well watered.

His homework was complete, Harry was quite looking forward to shocking Snape with the quality of his essay, and he had even managed to push into the coming year's work. Professor McGonagall had agreed to his Hedwig sent request for assessment tests in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

All-in-all Harry was fitter and healthier than ever. His mind was sharper, the Occlumency training helping there, and his Animagus meditations were progressing slowly.

As Harry had improved, his relationship with the Dursleys had deteriorated. Vernon was no longer able to tower over him and his extra mass kept both male Dursleys from trying any physical intimidations. The verbal attacks increased in venom but never lasted long once Harry got the cold fire look that was more Black than Potter.

It was Harry's best summer. Until the dream came.

The dream had him looking through the evil eyes of Voldemort at the rodent features of Wormtail. Harry didn't understand all that was talked about but it didn't take a genius to recognise the vibrant green light that killed the innocent muggle. The same green haunted his memories and nightmares.

Harry woke with a start, the sweat pouring down his toned body and his heart was dancing a painful jig in his chest. The adrenaline flooded his veins so it was with a badly shaking hand that ran through his tangled hair.

He took deep breaths, falling into his meditation exercise as he struggled to remember the dream's details. The images and words came, clearer than they would have before his training, and as his pulse stopped being the only thing he could hear it was then he felt the burning of his scar. The same painful, stomach churning burning he had felt near Quirrell in first year.

Dumbledore's words about having a connection to his parents' murderer came rushing back. Could the older wizard had meant it literally? Harry's heart spiked at the fearful idea. It was only his new self-control that kept him from racing out of the house to speak to Sirius at the early hour. Padfoot would be there later.

Harry pulled himself free of the threadbare sheet and scrambled together a pen and paper to write down everything he remembered for Sirius.

Better a Smart Slytherin than a Foolish Gryffindor.

When it was time for the miniscule breakfast Harry was treated to a second surprise of the day. Vernon called him into the living room and attempted to read him the riot act over Molly Weasley's letter and the insane number of stamps used.

"She meant well." Harry absently said, snatching the letter out of his puce-coloured uncle's hand.

"Boy..."

"You should be happy, uncle." Harry ripped open the letter and skimmed the contents, his stomach sinking a little at what he read. "They're coming to take me away for the rest of the summer."

"No more of your freakishness?" Vernon's eyes gleamed at the idea. "We don't need to see you until next year?"

"They're picking me up tomorrow." Vernon didn't notice how Harry refused to legitimise the man's questions.

Harry left as Vernon began a vomit-inducing jig around the sofa and walked past Dudley with a glare to keep his cousin in line. He wanted to see the World Cup Final, to see people at the pinnacle of Quidditch talent playing off against each other, but was nervous at seeing his friends.

Would they still be his friends?

"Padfoot." Harry spoke into his mirror once he was back in the isolation of his bedroom.

"Hey Pup, what's a-matter?" His godfather's face appeared in on the smooth surface and Harry marvelled at how healthier the man looked. One night after a little too much firewhiskey Sirius had admitted that if it wasn't for getting the potions for Harry, the Marauder would never have bothered for himself. A fact Harry chastised him on for days. "Can't get enough of your talented dogfather that you're needing a fix this early in the morning?"

"Ha, ha." Harry answered in the best way possible by poking out his tongue. "Actually I've got a message from the Weasleys. They want to pick me up tomorrow for the rest of the summer. They're taking me to the Quidditch World Cup but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you."

"Harry, you should go." The pang of disappointment at not sharing the experience with his godson was evident in Sirius' grey eyes. "This summer has been exactly what the two of us needed. But you have to spend time with your friends too."

"Yeah, it's just..." Harry wasn't sure how to express his fears but found he didn't have to.

"I understand, kiddo, I really do." Sirius said. "After everything it's okay to be worried. This year is going to be different, Pup, and even if they can't keep up that won't ever change what the three of you had. And don't forget, I'll be there at the Shrieking Shack come September."

"I'm still..."

"Don't start, Harry." The Animagus commanded. "We've gone over this. Your lessons with me aren't over and no one will think I'm crazy enough to go back there after what happened."

"That's because you're the only one who _is_ crazy enough."

Harry flashed a weak lopsided grin and closed the connection down as Pig crashed his way into Harry's room. Hedwig gave the hyperactive oddball owl an angry squawk and moved into the centre of her perch as though daring him to try landing beside her.

It took Harry a few minutes to finally catch the erratic bird only to roll his eyes at Ron's letter. Writing a quick reply, Harry tied it to Pig's ankle and watched him fly off. Suddenly an evil thought caught his attention and Harry turned to his familiar.

"Hey girl," he grinned wickedly. "We're off to the Burrow tomorrow. Fancy taking a slow flight now and meeting me there? You can harass Pig the entire way."

Hedwig's beautiful eyes seemed to glitter at the thought and she hooted happily at her pet's idea, landing smoothly on his shoulder so Harry could give her chest a few loving strokes. She returned an equal amount of loving nips to the ear and then took off after her arch-nemesis.

Harry watched her fly until she vanished from view and then cleaned up her perch and cage before going out for his morning jog. His runs had grown over the weeks and Harry was looking forward to stretching his legs around the Black Lake once back at Hogwarts.

The positive buzz lasted until a much cleaner and less sweaty Harry was sitting at the breakfast table with Sirius. He was enjoying a delicious meal made by Dobby while his godfather read the notes of the dream.

"I agree with you." Sirius told him once he finished, frowning with worry. "Your scar burning makes me think it wasn't just a dream."

"Right." Harry's fingers running self-consciously along the infamous wound. "I've got a scary connection to Voldemort that Dumbledore might know more about and there's that thing with the Bertha lady. Whatever she knew that they now know could be dangerous."

"As much as I hate to say it, Pup. This trip of yours might go in our favour. You get some stress relief and I can do some active research in the Black library at Grimmauld Place about your scar. There's enough books there on Dark Magic to have hope I can find something."

"And the Jorkins woman?"

"Well, we aren't going to be able to share the stuff on Voldemort." Sirius mused. "But an anonymous letter to someone high enough at the DMLE could start some action."

"And who do you know there who would believe an anonymous tip?" Harry asked in disbelief. Surely if Sirius knew someone there he could do something about his lack of a trial?

"Amelia Bones, it's current head." The smirk proved to Harry that there was a history between the two. Likely one he didn't need to know details of.

Harry knew Susan Bones from Hufflepuff and had heard her talking of an aunt. If Sirius trusted Amelia Bones enough to send her the smallest of breadcrumb then she could very well be the one to help get the Marauder his freedom. His mind whirled at the possibility of helping his godfather the way the Marauder had helped him.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _21st August, 1994_

The next day had Harry finally out of the Dursley rags and into a comfortable pair of black jeans and green silk shirt that brought out his eyes.

Vernon had tried making a scene about the new clothing and Harry couldn't help having a little fun. He gave a fly-away mention of his mass murdering godfather making a surprise visit to take him shopping and the fatter man went running to the window as if it was possible to see Sirius prowling the streets.

Harry rolled his eyes, knowing full well his godfather had packed up that morning to go back to his hated childhood home. An on loan Dobby was with Sirius to help redecorate as well as keep the Animagus out of trouble. Considering those involved, Harry was secretly worrying if Sirius would need to keep the elf out of trouble.

He knew that dressing in his better clothes would cause a problem with the Dursleys. When Vernon couldn't find any evidence of Sirius outside the house he turned back to Harry with a greedy look. Harry ignored it. He knew Wizarding law now and was well aware he would be able to gain his maturity and independence at fifteen. With no family member to guide House Potter, it fell on his younger shoulders to stand up and do so.

All Harry had to do was survive the next summer up to his birthday and then he was free of his relatives forever.

While waiting on the Weasleys to show he had to fight his desire to pull out his mother's potion journal. He had still not touched _The Book,_ his mother's thoughts on brewing being more of an attraction while he was at the hated place, but the urge to read the strange tome had been steadily growing since he'd retrieved it. It called to him.

It was with glee that Harry heard the crash behind the fireplace as the twins and then Ron attempted to Floo into a closed off fire. By the time Mr. Weasley thought to use magic to send the electric fire shooting across the room, Harry was holding his sides with laughter. Not even Vernon's purpling face could stop his enjoyment and he knew it was one memory Sirius would love to hear about.

Arthur Weasley came through the impressive hole and was immediately distracted by Vernon and Petunia. The gentle man was desperate to both apologise and engage the frightened Muggles in conversation. The look on his aunt and uncle's face did nothing to break Harry's giggling fit.

It was down to the twins to spot his new look first. They marched up to him in their usual synchronised style with shocked looks and immediately began to circle him as if assessing a potential purchase. Harry surprised himself when he was able to spot the subtle differences that made up each twin.

"Do you think it is, Fred?"

"Oh, I think so, Fred."

"But George, it couldn't be our ickle Harrikins."

"He's not so little any more, George."

"Boys, boys, boys." Harry laughed at the duo as they stopped in front of him. He then mirrored their trick by switching which twin he spoke to with each sentence. "I would like. To be the very first. To introduce you. To the very real. And very me. The one and only. The incredible. Harry James Potter 2.0!"

Harry shook both their hands at the same time, switching his arms over so the right hand went to the left twin and the left to the right. The two gleefully shook the offered limb and then pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Our Harry has all grown up." George sniffed once they let him go, wiping a faux tear from his eye.

"I think we'll need to beat away the girls so he can have his peace and quiet." Fred smirked a reply.

"But Forge, he might not even want us to!"

"Alright you jokers, out of the way." The slight growling sound of an annoyed Ron came from behind them and the twins parted eagerly to see their brother's reaction.

"Bloody hell, mate. What happened to you?" There was a flash of jealousy in Ron's eyes that was too easy for Harry to catch and he mentally sighed. He truly wondered if their friendship could last the year.

"I told you all about it in my letters, mate." He answered without commenting on the clothes. Harry was shocked to realise he was actually taller than his friend. "Remember? Growth spurt, working out, even eating healthy. I've never felt better."

"Well you've never looked better, Harry." Mr. Weasley joined in, finally giving up talking to the Dursleys as a lost job.

Harry nodded his thanks at the compliment and felt good about himself rather than the self-conscious anxiety he would have felt before Sirius got to him. He retrieved his trunk from the hallway and immediately the tips of Ron's ears turned red when it turned out to not be Harry's old, battered one.

They each made their way through the fire and a moment before Harry stepped into the green flames he gave a cheeky grin worthy of a teenage James Potter, twiddling his fingers at the Dursleys with a parting "Ta ta!"

The world spun. Sirius had taught Harry the secret to exiting the Floo without crashing to the floor and he only needed to practice. He gave a small sideways step as he came through to the destination, taking the momentum of the spin into his landing. His timing was slightly off so that he stumbled.

 _Better than crashing into the floor._ Harry thought to himself. It was yet another example of something not being explained to him by those in the know.

"My goodness, Harry." Came the unmistakable voice of Molly Weasley. "Look at how much you've grown."

She instantly took him in one of her tight hugs. Harry had never really enjoyed the intensity of Molly's attention but accepted it out of the need for any type of love. With Sirius showing him a better way, it was harder for Harry to handle her touchy nature when he was still so unsure of physical contact given his childhood.

"You could still do with eating more, dear." Molly carried on, unaware to his thoughts. Her hands brushed down his clothes and she eyed him critically. "Let me introduce you to my boys."

Harry shook hands with Bill and Charlie, the only Weasleys he'd yet to meet, and was instantly in love with Bill's fang earring. He was in the middle of wondering about getting his own when the front door opened to reveal Hermione and Ginny.

The twins sniggered behind Harry, Charlie nudged Bill in the ribs and shared a grin with the Curse-Breaker, while Ron continued with his silent routine. Harry ignored them all as he took in the reaction of the two girls.

Ginny had slipped behind Hermione, the young girl having flashbacks to the previous summer's reactions to his presence only this time far more intense. Hermione's jaw had dropped and the look she gave him was equal parts appreciation and calculation. Harry was beginning to feel like a particularly rare book his friend had found when she took his arm.

"Harry! I'm so glad you're here." She exclaimed with only a little faux enthusiasm. "Here, let me help you take your stuff up."

For all Harry's new muscles he was powerless to stop a Hermione Granger in full flow. She practically dragged him and his trunk up the stairs, the sound of laughter from four Weasley boys following their every step. Ron, head down and hands in pockets, shuffled up behind as though a faithful but disobedient dog..

"What the hell happened to you, Harry?" She demanded before the bedroom door had even shut in Ron's face. The redhead glared at her when he was forced to move quickly to avoid the collision. "I mean, look at you!"

"Good living and hard work, Hermione." Harry flashed a grin as he put the trunk away. "I told you all about it in my letters."

"No, Harry." Bushy hair flew back and forth with her denial. He fought hard not to image a furry Dobby. That way was only madness. Hilarity but still madness. "You don't get like this in a couple of months. Not with the way you were so..."

" _Abused_?" Harry hissed sharply. He stepped into her personal space and the warm fire of his eyes that Hermione so enjoyed quickly cooled into green steel. "That's what you want to know? How could poor, weak Harry change so much?"

There was a slight scoff at Harry's use of the word poor. He cut a glare over Hermione's shoulder but nothing else was said.

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry. I've never known what to do about you being at the Dursleys. But I'm worried." Hermione pleaded for understanding. "There are only so many ways to change like you have and..."

Harry cocked his head to the side and looked at his best friend. For the first time he felt he could follow her ramblings all the way to their conclusion and what he saw had him bursting out with laughter. The sound shocked her into silence and then she yelped as Harry's strong arms wrapped around and lifted her into a spin.

"'Mione you silly girl." Harry smiled. "It's nothing illegal. I took health potions too."

"Oh." Her cute features turned more so as she made a small 'o' with her mouth. Neither cared that he hadn't put her down. "But how did you get them?"

"Yeah, Harry. Those things aren't cheap."

The two turned their heads at one to glare at the redhead in the room. Harry gently lowered his friend to the floor and fought to keep his temper in check.

"Malnutrition, Ron. Know what that is?" Harry growled and took a step closer to his mate. "That's what it's called when your dinner is gone in two or three bites while your _loving family_ scoff their faces for years. Summer days working in the garden without rest or water, winter days shivering in clothes that never fit. Your body can't grow, Ron. Not enough food, too many injuries, stuck in a cupboard curled up rather than in a comfy bed. The health potions weren't cheap, Ron, because I paid for them my entire life."

"Go downstairs, Ronald." The stern voice of Arthur Weasley broke through the escalating tension. "Now!"

Harry, heartbeats away from punching his friend, turned to see the shocked faces of the Weasley patriarch. Harry's fury flowed back into the secret place he had built for it within him and embarrassment took it's place. He looked at Hermione and her chocolate eyes swam with tears.

"Dad?" Ron's face matched his hair. Shame marking him for being the immature boy he still was.

"Now, Ron. Don't make me repeat myself."

Ron shuffled off and Harry caught the glimpse of Ginny behind her father as he let the boy pass.

Arthur Weasley took a deep breath and entered the room and carefully closed the door behind him. He withdrew his wand and cast a few spells Harry recognised from Sirius' teachings. Privacy spells.

"I came up to let you three know dinner would be ready in an hour." The usually meek man explained. He took a deep breath and continued. "Harry, I'm sorry. No, hear me out son, please. I celebrated that Halloween as loudly as anyone else did. Molly had lost her brothers, I'd lost good friends, it was a bad, bad time. We drank to your parents and praised you but really we were all selfish in our happiness."

"Mr. Weasley," Harry wasn't sure where the conversation was going and a part of him wasn't sure if he wanted to know. "You don't have to do this."

"I do, Harry." Arthur replied with hidden strength. "When I met you last year it put a face to the name but I'm ashamed to admit I still didn't think about your life before Hogwarts. You look good, Harry. Healthy. I don't need to know how but I'm glad."

"Thank you." Really, there was nothing more Harry could ever say to such a confession.

"And I'm sorry. Sorry for all of it. I promise you now that if you ever need anything, anything at all, House Weasley will be there to support you. We owe you that."

Harry was in shock. Arthur left the room and Harry stilled stared at the spot where the man had stood. Arthur Weasley had invoked a family debt, from one House to another. And he had done so without any negotiations of the cost.

"Harry?"

It was instinct that had Harry catch the streaking blur who wrapped herself around him. Hermione's tears had broken free and she gripped him with all her might.

"It was Sirius, 'Mione." He whispered to his best friend, stroking the wild mane of hair. "He knew. He made sure I had the potions."

Harry gave Hermione enough highlights of the summer to appease her curiosity. The talk lasted long enough that by the time dinner was ready she could appear in front of the others without a tear stain or red eye in sight.

The rest of the day was a mix of ups-and-downs. Harry was thinking so much over the oath of alliance that he missed Percy complaining about Bertha Jorkins. The twins were their funny selves and there was something in the way Molly, Bill and Charlie looked at him that told Harry they knew of their patriarch's decision.

The atmosphere with Ron was chilled right up to when Hermione asked Harry if he was ready for his assessment exams. Ron went on an only partially annoyed rant about being abandoned to the constant threats of a gristly death in Divination that had the rest of the house making up as obscure a torture for the youngest boy as possible.

Everyone pretended that they couldn't see the twins making notes of the funnier ideas.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _22nd August, 1994_

It was a much more relaxed group who arrived at the site for the World Cup Final the next morning. Hermione had been ecstatic to find out Harry's knowledge of both his new classes was more than the bare essential and the two had been bouncing ideas between them the whole morning. Bill watched the two with an amused grin and would regularly throw a titbit of information out in order to watch the two friends dissect his comment for all their worth.

When not debating the entire structuring of Runes teaching, Harry used the build up to the match to do what Sirius had called enjoyable networking. As he, Ron and Hermione went looking for fresh water Harry was able to catch up with Puddlemere United's new reserve Keeper, Oliver Wood.

The former teammates laughed and joked with each other with Oli demanding Harry come to some of his matches. Harry promised and then left his former captain red-faced by explaining to Mr and Mrs Wood why the Wood team-talks were so infamous among Gryffindors.

The equally long talk with Ernie MacMillan initially surprised Ron and Hermione until Harry explained how he had always appreciated the Hufflepuff's public apology over thinking Harry was Slytherin's heir. Harry wasn't sure if the dialogue would build into anything more than a casual acquaintance but he couldn't deny the effect his thanks had on the other boy.

The last talk was with the very cute Cho Chang and Harry knew it was the ease of _that_ conversation that would show his two friends how much he had grown over the summer.

Harry had developed a small crush from afar on the Ravenclaw Seeker but now he could now look at her with an impartial eye. While he would never say no to a kiss or two with the young woman, he didn't feel anything special when he thought of the girl. He was much more a James than a Sirius when it came to matters of the heart, longing for something more than a string of names connected to broom cupboards.

"You've changed a lot, Harry." Hermione pointed out the Hippogriff in the corner as they made their way to the top box. "And I don't mean your looks."

"Is it a bad thing?" Harry asked, genuinely curious to her thoughts. "I wasn't very happy with who I used to be, 'Mione."

"Well you're studying now." She answered, unconsciously nibbling her lower lip. "You're much better at your work, you're making friends easier too."

Harry would have found her nibbling adorable if it wasn't for the barely hidden fear clouding her eyes. He stepped in front of her and tapped the bottom of her jaw.

"Hermione Jean Granger, the smartest witch of our age, I am not friends with you for you to do my homework. That's Ron's job."

She giggled more at his grin than the weak joke but he took what he could get.

"I've had to do a lot of growing up over the summer, Hermione, but the one thing that hasn't changed is you being my friend." He carried on with more seriousness. "Let's enjoy the game and worry about things later, okay?"

Hermione gave Harry a huge smile of relief and hooked one arm into his. She marched them both up the remaining steps, bushy head held high, with Harry making jokes about her super strength coming from carrying around a library every day. Each joke growing progressively sillier much to her growing amusement.

The two friends ended up stumbling into the box with giggles and even Ron giving them strange looks didn't dampen their happy feelings.

As Harry was settling down he noticed that there was a small elf on one of the seats, its head held tight in its hands. The image reminded Harry too much like Dobby before he was freed for his comfort.

"Hello there," Harry smiled softly, knelling down to make sure he would be eye level with the elf. "I don't suppose you know Dobby, do you?"

"Sir asks about Dobby?" The female squeaked into her palms. "I knows Dobby sir! My name is Winky, sir."

"Hello, Winky. I'm Harry."

"Harry?" Winky looked up between her fingers and her round eyes zeroed in on his scar. "Yous is Harry Potter, sir. Dobby talks about you all the time."

Harry smiled. He had no doubt his friend would have raved about him from the moment he had freed the little guy. "I hope it's all good things then."

"Oh yes, sir, yes it is!" Winky's hands dropped and her head bounced in affirmative. "And Winky be hearing that sir got Dobby a nice new family so he could forget about being _paid_. Freedom was going to Dobby's head, sir, yes it was, it was most unbecoming of an house-elf but now Winky hears he is being respectable again."

The sheer distaste that had been put into the word "paid" made Harry see how truly different his friend was in regards to house-elves. He also spotted the little blush in Winky's cheeks at having Dobby being respectable. His Marauder heritage couldn't help but peak out as he gave Winky a sly grin.

"Can you keep a secret Winky? Good. Well I know that Dobby believes he is being paid but in reality it's a part of the household expenses to be used on the family. Dobby gets money he can spend but doesn't actually disgrace being a house-elf."

"Oh yous is a clever sir!" Winky laughed, the tinkling sound lifting Harry's spirits for the short burst it lasted. She took a look at edge of the box and hid her face again. "Winky be thanking sir for distracting Winky from the heights. Winky wishes she be back in Master's tent but Winky is a good house-elf, Harry Potter, so Winky saves her Master a seat."

Harry knew a dismissal when he heard one and moved back to the others. Ron made a comment about the strangeness of house-elves while he could practically hear Hermione's gears churning over everything that she had seen and heard.

The quiet inside the box was destroyed by new arrivals and Harry was wishing the game had already started as he spotted the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

Harry remembered the way Fudge dismissed their information on Sirius' innocence and had marked the portly man as an enemy of both House Potter and House Black.

The Minister's failed introduction between Harry and his Bulgarian counterpart was only saved by the sight of Harry's scar. Then things got more uncomfortable with the appearance of the Malfoys.

Harry did his best to ignore the blond bigots, silently praying the emotional powder keg between Ron and Draco wouldn't spark, only for Lucius' snide remark about the Weasley wealth showed how fruitless that wish had been.

Harry's anger slipped free at the passive-aggressive mistreatment of such a good family. Sirius had taught him for this situation and he refused to let his godfather down.

He stepped forward, Avada eyes locking on the third member of the Malfoy clan; the beautiful woman with the piebald hair that was Narcissa Malfoy née Black, Sirius' cousin.

"Narcissa, Child of Black." Harry's ice-cold voice cut through the talk around him. The words caught everyone's attention, even the Bulgarian Minister much to Harry's secret amusement. "You seem to be in neglect of your duties. The House of Malfoy, through blood and marriage connected to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black continues, to this day, to make the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter's return to the Wizarding world less than hospitable."

The atmosphere in the box thickened. Those who understood the Pure-blood etiquette and Wizarding political history were shocked at what had been spoken. The conflict between Harry and House Malfoy, especially after the Chamber incident, could very well lead to a Blood Feud. Lucius paled and tightened his grip on his cane, while Draco's confusion visibly showed. It was only Narcissa who truly knew what was being said and the deeper ramifications of Scion Potter's words and she paled dramatically as they sunk in.

Fudge broke out in a visible sweat as Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived and orphan, upstaged the Malfoys and pulled Pure-blood rank. The fear that he was witnessing the rebirth of the Potter political machine chilled his insides worse than any Dementor could.

The elder Weasleys stared at Harry in a mix of shock and awe. Arthur felt a warmth in his chest, a rightness confirming that his alliance the previous day had been the best thing to do for his family. Ron was as confused as Draco while Hermione was simply curious.

Harry stared into Narcissa's pale blue eyes and only broke contact when she lowered her gaze. He looked at his school nemesis and felt nothing for the boy.

" _Toujours pur et Toujours debout,_ Draco pure to the Family remains the Children of Black?"

While the words may have been a mystery to most, their meaning was clear. Harry was willing to pull the Malfoy's over the coals for the way they had treated him since his return to the Wizarding world. Fudge, seeing his political ally potentially neutered, was about to speak when Narcissa stepped forward to quickly stand between her son and his bitter enemy.

"Scion Potter, please." She spoke quickly and without hiding the pleading tone.

Narcissa was a Black at heart and had been raised knowing the hidden bonds between their Houses. She knew that the ritual words were powerful enough to topple their very world. Spoken by either side, it meant that the other was considered Oath-breakers to their stance of Grey. That one side was leaning too far into the Light or Dark for the blood and magical ties that bound the Houses. That Harry had even been able to say the words meant Magic itself agreed with him.

"Scion Potter," she tried again when Harry remained silent. "As a Child of Black I ask for forgiveness and time to make amends between our Families. In my arrogance I allowed this to be and it is my right to repair the damage."

Harry's new strength bored into Narcissa and she felt like a little girl again, facing off against her grandfather Arcturus. This was not the weakling Potter brat her son had spouted off about for the past three years but a potential political and magical powerhouse. The feeling and knowledge had her shivering in fear that only eased when Harry bowed his head, the power and magic that had been building inside the box dissipating.

"Lady Malfoy. I, more than most, understand the undertaking in learning such things from a blank slate. I give thee a year-to-the-day for the rift to begin its healing." Harry's added smirk that could have come from a young Sirius. "And I can only hope our next meeting is far more pleasurable than this."

Everyone was thankful for Ludo Bagman barging into the box like the hyperactive kid he was, loudly asking if they were all ready. He completely missed the tension still lingering in the air and used a _sonorus_ to get the stadium's attention.

A stereo "bloody hell, Harry" - "What was that, Harry?" had the Potter in question shake his head and tell his friends to wait until later. It was time for Quidditch.

Harry found the game anti-climatic.

The Veela were an interesting experience with Harry watching most men inside the stadium react like love – lust – obsessed teenagers. That Harry felt an attraction to the beautiful woman was without question, however something rose from deep inside him that burned away the feelings in a wave of anger. His external lack of reaction had Hermione's eyebrow raising in question that he could only shrug in return at.

The old Harry loved Quidditch and would have studied the game with rapt attention, doing his absolute best to learn from the great Victor Krum. The new Harry had come to accept the sport as nothing more than a reason for him to fly and pull off the moves he loved as well as a chance to be accepted. It had truly never been about the game for him.

With the second part no longer an issue and, having no desire for playing the sport professionally, Harry was able to sit back and watch the spectacle dispassionately. After all it was Ron who desired to be Captain so badly he saw it in the Mirror of Erised.

His lack of enthusiasm was picked up by his female friend and he gave a weak smile of reassurance to her that he was fine. He had already noticed the game's similarity with the Gryffindor-Slytherin matches; the Irish Chasers doing what the Lions' Flying Foxes were capable of in dominating a match until the Hungarians turned the game as dirty as possible.

Harry shook his head. It seemed the Bulgarians had managed to get through to the final with the skill of Krum alone if his perfectly performed Wronski Feint was anything to go by. He turned to Hermione and half-yelled in her ear so she could hear him.

"It's going to be down to timing. If Krum's snitch catch takes them to victory or not."

She gave him an appraising look, her mind working over all the games she had seen Harry play and compared them to what she was watching. Harry was a little frustrated when he saw the surprise in her face once she came to the same conclusion and turned back to the game to hide his annoyance. He knew he had underplayed his intelligence the past three years and it would take people some time before they were used to a smarter, more focused Harry. Yet that still didn't stop it hurting. He had truly hoped she had seen past his mask.

The match played out as Harry thought it would with Krum catching the snitch before the Irish could turn it into a slaughter.

The group made their way back to the tent and got comfortable with cups of cocoa, excited conversations bouncing around the tent for Harry to slip into when he wanted to. Then suddenly the joys of the night turned to screams, freezing everyone in the tent. A mad scramble had them outside to see everyone running back and forth, most heading towards the woods away from a group of advancing wizards. Sirius had described the outfit easily enough and when Harry saw the pale masks he hissed.

"Death Eaters." Harry's eyes flashed back and forth assessing the situation, his wand already in hand. He cursed the fact he didn't know enough magic to help and, while staying in the tent seemed like a really bad idea if the Death Eaters made their way over, worse would be to follow the herd into dark woods.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr Weasley yelled to catch their attention. "You lot get into the woods and be safe. I'll come get you when it's done."

Arthur, Percy, Bill and Charlie all made a dash towards the scumbags and Fred went to take Ginny's hand to do as his father had ordered. Harry was quickly and caught his arm, surprising the twin with the strength of his grip.

"No." He growled.

"Harry..." Hermione started, probably about to complain about his arguing with an adult.

"We stick together." He told them, cutting off the rant before it got going. "We take it slow and don't go deeper into the trees than we have to. We'll get crushed if we get caught up in the rush."

The twins looked at each other, images of a crushed and hurt Ginny flashing in their minds, and they quickly nodded. Fred taking point, George behind the rest to keep the younger ones together against the flow of panicked crowd. Harry shook his head and couldn't help replaying what had become his mantra over the summer. _Better a live Slytherin than a dead Gryffindor._

The small group were doing well until Ron's cry filled the darkness.

"What happened?" Hermione's voice was high with fear. "Ron? Ron? _Lumos._ "

"Apparently he couldn't control his large feet. No surprise really." An all too familiar voice drawled.

They turned to see Draco Malfoy leaning nonchalantly against a tree, arms folded and apparently in a good spot to watch the chaos that was going on behind them.

"You'd better run along, Weasleys, and get her out of here too." He told them, eyes bright with dark humour. "They may be after muggles right now but it's only a small step up to Mud-bloods and blood traitors."

Hermione was forced to grab Ron's arm to keep him from attacking the Malfoy Scion and the other Weasleys looked ready to join in if Ron got free.

"I bet your parents are out there, you slimy snake!"

"No, Ron. At least Lady Malfoy wouldn't be." Harry answered, cutting off the sneer that was growing on Draco's face. "Not after our little discussion earlier. And if daddy-dearest is out there she'll probably have some choice words for him later."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Potter." Draco snapped back and stepped away from his tree. The fun was disappearing quickly for the blond ponce and he reacted like any bully would. Loudly.

"I know more than you do, _cousin._ " Harry sneered back, closing the distance between them. "There's power and then there's true power, Draco. That there? That's the power of the weak; the weak-minded striking fear into those they see smaller than themselves."

Harry's speech stopped the Slytherin Prince in his stride, his voice taking on a hypnotic tone that also had the others take pause. Later on, Harry wouldn't be able to say where the words came from.

"Then there's the power of Blood and Family. Of Legacy and Magic. That power could be within a Noble and Most Ancient House or the newest muggle-born. That type of power shapes the world in ways that have people in awe for decades. Centuries."

He took a second step closer to Draco, the other boy unmoving as he was held in Harry's thrall. If Harry would have turned back he would have seen terror in Ginny's eyes at how alike he sounded to Tom Riddle.

"I gave your mother a year to fix the Malfoy name. She's a Black; she understands the difference between the two powers. You have a year, Little Dragon. A year to decide whether it's the weak power of the Malfoys or the strong power of the Blacks you believe in."

A scream sounded loudly in the night air and Harry turned to look at the terror taking over the campsite.

"I've spoken to their master, did you know that?" Harry causally mentioned and only his eyes showed the rage he felt at what was happening in front of him and his lack of ability to do anything about it. "Oh yes. Now, what was his name?"

"You know the Dark Lord's name!" Draco snarled. This was a subject he could react to, something he felt he was on firmer ground and not what the strange new Potter had spoken of before.

"No, not _that_ name." Harry waved away the protest only to start clicking his fingers as if trying to remember something just out of reach. "I mean the other name, the name before the name. Oh, what was it? It was something really simple. That's it! Tom, I've spoken to their Master, Tom, twice now. Such a boring name Tom is, don't you think? Very... Muggleish."

The Weasleys were as still as statues while Hermione looked at him with incomprehension. Ginny's gasp at the name causing a small flash of regret to hit Harry but he shut it out. He needed to get Draco to understand.

"It's okay though. Because he _was_ named after his muggle father." Harry's grin at the sight of Draco's eyes widening was a frightening thing and his voice had began to take on a slight hissing tone. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, Half-blood son of a witch and Muggle. Considering both of my parents were magical that should put me slightly above your father's master in the pecking order of things, I should think."

Harry had moved closer during his monologue. When the last comment sent Draco into a blind rage, reaching for his wand, it was the easiest thing for Harry to slam his fist into the Slytherin's stomach with all his new strength. The blond collapsed to the forest floor struggling for breath.

"Ask your father about him sometime, cousin. Think about what I said. Your life just might depend on it."

Harry threw the final comment over his shoulder as he turned to lead the others deeper into the woods away from Draco and the increasingly loud noises. The others moved in a stunned silence, leaving him to his thoughts. He wasn't sure if it had been a smart idea but he hoped he had sowed enough seeds for Draco to start thinking things over. Even if he went to daddy Malfoy with the intent of proving Harry wrong, Lucius' reaction to the name should make him doubt any denials.

"Brilliant," Ron said finally. "Scary but brilliant."

The group moved slowly through the trees. Harry checked on Ginny out of the corner of his eye but the little redhead refused to meet his gaze. He hoped his speech with Draco hadn't scared her too much but Draco was Family. A distant and disgusting member of Family but they shared blood and to a Potter or Black, that was paramount.

" _Morsmordre!_ "

The voice cut through their musings and ahead of them a dark green spell shot out into the sky. Harry's blood ran cold when he saw the skull and snake of the Dark Mark. He had heard the tales of the last war when people arrived home or at work and saw it above the building. Where it went, death and destruction followed.

"Merlin…" Fred and George moaned together. Everyone was staring at the Mark as if hoping it was all a bad dream while the screams around them got louder. The people had been driven momentarily mad through the fear of seeing the sign of their nightmares again. Harry heard a commotion behind him and spun, wand at the ready yet in no way capable of handling about twenty adult wizards charging towards their group. Time slowed for Harry and he saw the arms raising, aiming at them all.

"On the ground now!" He shouted to his friends. "DUCK!"

He grabbed fists full of clothing and pulled the others down, the rest fell like dominoes just in time as the world above their heads erupted with S _tupefies_. Harry didn't think it would ever end and was grateful when he heard the familiar voice of Arthur screaming.

"Stop! Stop! That's my family!"

The moment the spells were over the man in question came running over and pulled each of them up, hugging and patting them down in worry. Harry watched and imagined Sirius doing the exact same if he had been there. The visual filled him with the sense of love and belonging that he was still in awe of finally having.

"Which of you did it?" Came the slightly crazed voice of Barty Crouch, his wand still pointed dangerously at them. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't do anything!" Ron snapped back, the tips of his ears already changing colour. "What did you attack us for?"

"Do not lie, sir!" Crouch spat and Harry was reminded of a video he saw of a ranting Hitler. It seemed that Minister Fudge wasn't the only Ministry official who absolutely _knew_ what the truth was and refused to accept anything else. Harry was wondering if he needed to pull out his Scion Potter act when Amos Diggory called out from behind.

What followed was a chaotic mess of accusations that Winky the house-elf conjured the Dark Mark, that Ron conjured it after it was realised it was his wand which had been found, and then the pitiful scene of Winky being dismissed by Crouch for disobeying his orders. To Harry's new understanding of the way house-elves behaved the entire thing had him questioning everything he had seen that night.

Winky was a house-elf so devoted to her MaAster that she refused to move from her seat the entire Quidditch match no matter how afraid of heights she was. Harry knew there was a way for her to have considered the order completed so she could get back to her beloved tent yet the thought didn't cross her mind. This told Harry all he needed to know about her devotion to her service.

Harry's suspicious thoughts took him to a worrying conclusion. Whether Crouch knew what Winky had been doing or not, she _had_ been working for his benefit and he knew it. The idea bounced around Harry's mind all the way back to the tent and he barely heard Hermione's rants about the mistreatment of elves. Was Crouch guilty of being involved in the Dark Mark or was it out of pure embarrassment in finding his elf at the scene of the crime? And why was Winky there in the first place?

The questions continued to come up until the darkness of sleep over took him.

.

.

oOoOo


	5. Everyone has a Story

**AN: Because chapters 5 and 6 are my shortest yet, here they are posted together.**

 **POTTERPHILE: I've never liked the way Sirius is portrayed in JKR's books. He's too inconsistent as a guardian. Here Sirius will be much more focused on what's best for Harry.**

 **Mangahero18: Not sure what you consider super interesting but you'll start seeing a lot more breaks from canon.**

 **magitech: Sirius is the _only_ person Harry has told everything to. From Dursleys to his adventures. Everyone else gets edited pieces but never the entire whole.**

 **To those who like how I've shown Hermione to be a less creative and open-minded Lily, Miss Granger's eventual fate is up to her. Harry will try to guide her but she has to be flexible enough to learn.**

* * *

Everyone has a Story

 _23rd August, 1994 – Early morning._

Amelia Bones, short-haired and square-jawed Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was having a very bad morning. The chaos at the World Cup Final meant that all hands were on deck looking for answers. Or, if none could be found, a scapegoat. Arthur Weasley's quotes in the _Daily Prophet_ made him an obvious target for the latter but one never knew which way the political wind was blowing. Yet Amelia continued to sit in her office staring at two small pieces of paper.

The first was a report from one of her Aurors who had been placed at the door to the stadium's Main Box. The guard was one she trusted implicitly, so when he came back to her with details of the confrontation between Harry Potter and the Malfoys, she took notice.

Under any other situation Amelia would have taken the information and stored it away for later. Any other situation didn't include an anonymous note passed through an old contact network warning about a potential security risk. The coincidence was too much for the experienced woman to ignore.

The network used house-elves with specific coded instructions to be passed on to each elf and was a system created by her brother Edgar during the last war. Amelia hadn't been part of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix but Edgar had. Still, he'd wanted to share information with his Auror sister and proposed the idea to her one night after they had lost a close family friend. Eventually they had included a pair of powerful, smart-mouthed Aurors who knew her brother through the Order.

Only three people knew about the means to contact her that way and two were dead with the last on the run.

"Sirius." Amelia sighed to herself. "What are you playing at?"

She threw the offending papers onto her desk and stormed to the door. She'd never believed in Sirius' guilt but to her shame had never championed for his innocence either. The end of the war had been bad for all of them.

"Auror Tonks, my office. Now!"

The usual oohs and aaahs followed as the Auror in question made her way to the Boss's office. The ribbing might not have been as loud as usual but that they happened at all was good news for Amelia. It meant moral hadn't sunk too low you'd need a levitation charm to get it back.

Nymphadora Tonks, spiky hair in bubble-gum pink, nervously sat in the chair opposite her Director. The young metamorph had become an Auror barely a month early yet there she was. _I don't remember doing anything bad this_ week. She thought, doing her best to keep from fidgeting as the older woman stared off into space.

"Auror Tonks." Amelia broke the silence and caused Tonks to jump in surprise. "What does it mean to be a Black?"

"Ma'am?" Of all the questions to be asked, this one was the one Tonks had least expected and the one she couldn't answer. "I'm not a Black."

"Nymphadora Tonks, daughter of Andromeda Tonks née Black." Amelia carried on as if there had been no reply. The usual growl of someone using her first name was hushed by the glare Amelia gave from behind the constant monocle. "I knew of your mother in school, Tonks. Of all the famous Black Sisters. There's no way she'd not tell you about her Family."

"Boss, please." Tonks pleaded. "Don't do this. Working here is all I've ever wanted to do, don't make me do this."

Amelia Bones was known for being ruthless at getting to the truth and she lived up to that reputation by ignoring the young girl's fear filled face to pick up the report.

"' _Toujours pur et Toujours debout.'_ " She read from the report, watching the colour drain from Tonks' face. "'How pure to the Family remains the Children of Black?'"

There was more than enough Black blood in Nymphadora for the magic that still clung to those words to impact her. Her metamorphic abilities shut down and Amelia watched the hair lengthen and darken until it sat it silky waves past Nymphadora's shoulders. Her heart-shaped face grew more aristocratic with the sharpening lines of her cheekbones and her chest had expanded. But the most startling change were the eyes; vivid purple, a colour far more connected to her aunt Bellatrix.

There was a pregnant pause, filled only by Nymphadora's heavy breathing as she fought to reclaim her chosen form. When the bubbly shape returned, she stood and was a heartbeat away from resigning when Amelia spoke again.

"I'm sorry for that, Tonks. I wouldn't have said it if I had known."

The young woman looked down at the Head of the DMLE and Amelia had a sudden urge to reach for her wand. Tonks' Black blood had been awakened and Amelia felt trapped in a room with an angry snake waiting for its time to strike. Tonks might have been an Auror but Bones had just proved the young woman was a Black through-and-through. The moment passed, Tonks blinked, and the feeling was gone before the young woman collapsed into the uncomfortable chair.

"Going to tell me what this is about, Madam Director?" Tonks snapped. Being forced back to her natural state was painful for the Metamorphmagus and her body ached all over.

"Harry Potter said those words to Narcissa Malfoy last night." Amelia explained then raised a large eyebrow when Tonks failed to react. This obviously wasn't new information to the metamorph. "The Auror who overheard thought nothing of it until your aunt 'freaked like a kid losing her favourite toy' to quote the report."

Tonks scoffed at the description. She knew differently. Her aunt had panicked for a much bigger reason.

She had got up in the middle of the night and found her mother crying in their kitchen with a letter from the youngest Black sister open on the table. Old Bones was right. Andromeda was a Black at heart and had raised her daughter in the ways of her family and Tonks could only hug her mother once she had read the letter. The Malfoys, and by extension the Black Family, was now holding on by a fingernail. The same day next year could find her mother an only child.

"I remember the stories, Auror Tonks." Amelia continued when it was obvious nothing was to be said. "The Bones Family had dealings with both Potters and Blacks in the past, I've heard how deeply the two Houses are said to be connected. It's true, isn't it?"

Silence. A war raged inside Tonks over whether to get back up and walk away from her dream job or wait for the other shoe to drop. As much as she wanted to be an Auror, Tonks was a Black first and would never betray their secrets. Yet Bones wasn't known for prying into Family secrets because she felt like it.

"This note came to me earlier today." The paper was passed over and Tonks took it, feeling the shoe start its descent.

 _Bertha Jorkins dead. Everything she knew in the hands of DE. The Dark is on the move._

"Only three people knew how to get a message to me the way that note did. Edgar, James Potter and Sirius Black."

"Sirius?" Tonks spoke her cousin's name in a hushed tone as she remembered a laughing teenager treating her like a precious thing rather than a freak with her metamorph abilities. "But I thought..."

"Does your mother believe he betrayed the Potters?"

Tonks frowned at the question. Andromeda had never believed the story, had venomously claimed that it was impossible for Sirius to have done what they locked him up for and Tonks' love for the boy she remembered had help sway her to her mother's point of view.

"No, Boss." She shook her head. The change from _Director_ to _Boss_ easing the tightness in Amelia's shoulders. She'd have hated to cost herself an excellent Auror by her actions. "She told me how James' parents took him in when aunt Walburga tried beating the Gryffindor out of him. She says there's too much between our Families for him ever to have turned on cousin Jamie."

Amelia nodded and sat back, her hard gaze burning deep into Tonks. The hard-worked fingers danced a pattern on the arm of her chair.

"This doesn't leave my office, Auror. None of what we've said, what I've shown you, what I'm about to say. It doesn't get spoken of to anyone except who I give permission to. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. I guess."

"I knew Sirius." The words came from nowhere. Tonks wasn't sure if it was they or the soft tone that they had been spoken in that shocked her most. "We were very close. That note is from him and it's a warning no one outside of this office would accept.

"Bertha Jorkins helped bring the Tri-Wizard Tournament to Hogwarts and according to Sirius, everything she knew, Death Eaters know."

"Harry." Tonks gasped, fear building. "You're saying that they're after Harry Potter?"

"I don't know." Amelia admitted even though they both knew it was the most likely scenario. "But I know that Sirius believes it's possible. It doesn't matter, There's a potential security leak at an event more politically charged that yesterday's game."

"Boss, no offence meant, but why aren't you telling people about this?"

"Tell who? Tell them what? An escaped mass-murderer, the same man who betrayed our nation's most celebrated family, has warned me that someone is dead and that person's knowledge is now exposed? If anyone believed me then it would all be pointed right at Sirius again."

"What can I do?" Tonks' eyes bled to her natural colour, the determination to do right by her Family causing her to lose her still tentative control.

"If you agree, I want to send you in undercover. A student from St. Michaels Magical School whose parents have had to visit a sick aunt in another country." The truth in the lie had Tonks wincing. "You'll be in Potter's year. I want you to integrate yourself into his group of friends and watch his back until I can find out if this threat has legs."

An undercover assignment mere months after graduating as an Auror was something Tonks could never have dreamed of. The trial of going back to school was balanced out by being able to protect Harry. He was Family.

"Who do I report to?"

"My niece, Susan." Tonks' jaw dropped impossibly low in surprise. "She'll be your contact. Before you accept, you have to know that no one else will know about this. Not the teachers, not anyone in the DMLE, no one. You'll officially be on paid leave for personal reasons and I don't care if I storm the school with every Auror and Hit Wizard, you don't break cover. You talk to me, Susan or in an absolute emergency reveal yourself to Scion Potter. Otherwise you're on your own."

Tonks stared at the Director in shock. This wasn't big, this was _huge_. A Black Ops like what was being suggested could bring down both their careers or give them enough credit to go as high as they wanted. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Why me?"

"Good question." Amelia smirked, the question cementing her opinion of the young woman. Amelia hated yes-men as much as she hated those who only thought of the Political. "Partly because of your talents, partly your familiarity with the side-issue at hand. Potter gave Narcissa Malfoy a 'year-to-the-day' to fix her family, I want to know why. If his issues with the Malfoys are bad enough to invoke this type of Family Magic then why give her such a long deadline?"

"It's the longest he could..." Tonks answered without realising she'd spoken aloud. The pieces were falling into place faster than she could understand them. The would-be Black took a leap and spoke up. "The Magic will only allow up to a year maximum to make amends."

"And the shortest time?"

"An hour. A minute." She shrugged. "He could have denied the request outright."

"So we have Potter, with no surviving magical relatives, using Family Magic so powerful it affected you..." Amelia clarified with an apologetic look. "...affected you this morning when I repeated the words, and he gave your aunt the longest time possible he could."

"And there's only one person alive who knows enough to do that." Tonks finished off, her eyes widening in comprehension. "One person who would also want him to do his best her and, by proxy, my mum."

The two women stared down at the note Tonks still held. All roads were leading to Sirius Black.

"It's about Family, madam Director." Tonks spoke clearly as she finally answered the original question. "Being a Black is about Family. James Potter was a Black by blood and that means so is Harry. It's time the Family took care of its own."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _23rd August, 1994, - Malfoy Manor._

"Are you really going to be teaching _me_ , Narcissa?" Lucius drawled with a smirk. The two elder Malfoys had been back and forth all morning leaving Draco nothing but a spectator. "The boy clearly has thoughts above his station."

"Why?" Narcissa snapped, the blonde streak in her hair lengthening and shrinking as her weak metamorph abilities flared with her temper. "Because he's a Half-blood? He's Scion Potter, Lucius. The Potter have enough power to bury us all. Literally."

"He is a boy with a name. I am a Malfoy and we bow to no one."

"No one?" Narcissa's hand snaked out to catch her husband's arm, the other pulling up the sleeve to reveal the darkening Mark in the skin. "You bowed before, my _darling_ husband, you must do so again."

"That was different!" Lucius snarled as he pulled himself free.

They were in Lucius' office, alternating between sitting, standing and pacing as the argument grew. Draco watched from the corner as the conversation he had with Potter replayed continuously in his mind.

"Not different enough." She spitefully laughed. Draco had never seen his mother like this and didn't like it. He blamed Potter. "He invoked Family Magic. Potter could turn my blood and magic against me. Lucius, he could turn it against our son. Your precious Malfoy name could be ground to dust beneath that boy's feet this time next year."

"Potter?" Draco roused himself from his thoughts, amazed at the fear his mother was showing. "Potter's nothing, mother, barely above that squib Longbottom."

"Let me tell you something about that Potter boy, Draco." Narcissa's tone dripped liquid nitrogen as she glared dangerously at her son. "Of all the Families there are only two who have never born a Squib, regardless of how much Muggle blood was introduced; My own, the Blacks, and the Potters. Our magic is intertwined and that nothing Potter was born with both in his veins the same as his father was. He has enough power to strip your magic, my magic and your father's. He could take our very lives by uttering a single sentence if that's what he wished."

"Don't spew your Black propaganda at the boy." Lucius demanded, spittle flying in blind anger at what he was hearing. The once smart Lucius Malfoy had fallen hard into believing his own mask and refused to accept a different reality. Narcissa faced her husband and missed look of fear her words had created in Draco. "I know that Marius Black..."

"Marius Black had his magic bound by Sirius the Second for plotting to kill the Potter." She snapped. "Since no one on either side can actively hurt the Head of the other's House, it was hushed up rather than the Family Magic taking it out on the rest of the Blacks. Our blood burns with magic, Lucius, and Potter has the power to snuff that flame out."

"I don't understand, Mother. What about Sirius betraying the Potters to the Dark Lord?"

Narcissa broke out into hysterical laughter at her son's question and Lucius winced, looking sheepishly into the shadows. Sirius Black was an old wound in their marriage that had never healed and was most likely the underlying fuel that drove their current discord.

"Oh Draco, my son, how much I've kept from you." There was a faint edge of insanity in her tone that reminded the elder Malfoy of her imprisoned sister, Bellatrix. "Sirius was Scion Black, even trying to give up the name to the Dark Lord would have seen his magic turn on him in the most violent way imaginable. Everyone knows my cousin didn't betray the Potters. But no one wants to admit it."

"Don't start, Narcissa!" Lucius groaned with closed eyes. He couldn't look at his wife knowing how he had failed her. "By the time I found out what was happening I couldn't get him free, I was too busy saving us."

"Saving your own neck, you mean." She snarled, teeth bared. The Black magic began crackling around her. "I've warned you, Lucius. The Black-Potter bond is unbreakable and it demands payment. You're lucky our son hasn't pushed it too far to get himself killed."

" _What_?!" Draco screeched, paling until he looked like a ghost of Hogwarts.

"Don't fear, son." Lucius waved the scream away absently. "You're a Malfoy, it won't affect you. It didn't affect me when..."

"When? When what?" Narcissa's eyes narrowed and then she sighed in defeat, her magic easing away. "It doesn't matter. You won't change. You've made Draco into another you and now I've got a year to watch you dig your own graves."

With that parting shot she walked out of the room without a glance back to leave man and boy lost in their own thoughts.

"Father." Draco spoke up after a few moments of silence. "Have you ever heard the name Tom Riddle?"

"What did you say, Draco?" Lucius glared at his son, fingers clenching hard around his cane while praying that his ears had deceived him.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. It's a name Potter said last night."

"Never. Ever. Say that name again." Lucius demanded, taking Draco by the arm in a painful grip. "I beg you, son, for your own sake, never say it or think it ever again."

Draco didn't watch his father storm from the room, rather his gaze was on the way Lucius was rubbing the Dark Mark. Draco's arm ached and he decided that he needed to fly, to feel the wind beneath him so that he could sort out the raging thoughts that pushed at him. His world was no longer making sense and it came back to Potter. Yet where once he might have raged at that fact, now he was more curious and confused.

.

.

oOoOo

 _._

 _._

 _Hidden somewhere in an English moor._

The effects of the moon were still painful when Remus Lupin looked down at his _Daily Prophet_. Regardless of his financial situation, he always made sure to keep up to date with the news in case his cub or best friend were mentioned. That morning's news was potentially worse. The sight of the Dark Mark floating in the sky brought back too many memories for the werewolf and with them came the crashing weight of loneliness and pain.

Remus Lupin laid his head on the rickety table and cried and only some of those tears were for the present day.

.

.

oOoOo


	6. For Every Loss, There is a Gain

For Every Loss, There is a Gain.

 _23rd August, 1994._

The sky was storm grey, the colour of Sirius' eyes when angry, and the air had a faint greenish tint to it. Harry stood on a tall hill overlooking a valley. The lush grass was stained every colour of red as blood was spilt and dried over and over again.

It was horrific carnage. Animals of every form and colour clashed with claws and teeth facing off against beaks, pincers and stingers. The animals seemed to flow in size and shape depending on their current enemy. He watched a dragon get pulled down by a pack of hyenas, a manticore tore the scavengers apart only to be ripped into pieces by an overgrown panther. There was no rhyme nor reason to the insanity and the horror of it all was made worse by the complete silence.

Yet he couldn't help watching. As Harry did so he noticed reoccurring details to the madness. Large felines ploughed relentlessly through the opposition bodies, while quick raptors were more often than not successful in diving from the skies to attack unprotected eyes. It took him a while to notice that there were snakes of all variations slithering past crashing hoofs and paws to strike at vulnerable underbellies.

The dream began to fade just as a basilisk rose up to take down a noble hippogriff only for it to be blind-sided by a larger than average wolf. Harry swore he could hear the victory howl of the wolf as he woke.

 _{{"Merlin, that was horrible."}}_ He hissed in Parseltongue, not fully remembering where he was.

"Ha..Harry?" The startled voice of Arthur Weasley croaked. Harry made a show of fumbling with his glasses and looked over at the kind man, seeing a hint of fear on the freckled face. "It's time to get up. We're leaving."

"Sorry, sir." Harry switched back to English. "I was having dreams about snakes and well.."

"Oh, that's okay Harry. It was a shock that's all."

Harry nodded, letting the gentle man get away with the lie. He sighed once he was alone and wondered if that part of him would ever be accepted.

It was a sleepy group that made their way through the still waking tents towards the portkey area. The portkey and then walk back to the Burrow was made in silence and a terrified Molly greeted them all with rib-breaking hugs and fussed nervously over the twins. Her last words to them the day prior had been complaining about their pranks and she had been unable to forgive herself for not telling them that they were loved.

Harry spotted the _Daily Prophet_ and pulled it closer, urgently scanning the lead article to find out how bad the reports were. Now that he was safe and sound, his worry for Sirius overreacting and doing something foolish was growing and with it the very real fear of losing his only father figure.

 _ **Scenes of Terror at the Quidditch World Cup!**_

The large photo of the Dark Mark in all its horrible glory sent Harry's sinking stomach straight to his feet. He needed to get to Ron's bedroom and activate the mirror as soon as possible before his godfather decided to rampage and come looking for him. Or worse, send Dobby or Kreacher to grab him and his stuff without a by-your-leave to the Weasleys.

Arthur took the paper and realised that the entire Ministry would be in chaos that morning. Harry only partly heard him commenting on everyone being needed at the Ministry and the brown-nosing Percy's reply. Mrs. Weasley immediately went into a lamenting of their holiday time but Harry was already taking the steps to the bedroom two at a time.

He didn't need to look back to know that Ron and Hermione where following and they crashed through the door as he was pulling the mirror from its hiding place.

"Harry, what's going—"

"Harry James Potter, you will—"

"Shut the door, be quiet and I'll explain soon." Harry snapped.

Hermione's use of his full name had rubbed his nerves raw. He was fully aware of how people had their own opinions on who Harry Potter really was. He waited only long enough for the door to click and spoke.

"Padfoot."

"Pup!" Sirius' frantic voice came through the magical connection before the image had cleared. Ron and Hermione stared at the mirror in shock. Ron because of the magic involved while Hermione was hurt it hadn't been revealed earlier. "Thank Morgana, Pup, I've been going crazy since I saw the _Prophet._ Are you okay?"

"I knew you would be. I'm fine." Harry smiled in an attempt to calm his panicked godfather. "I'm with Ron and Hermione and we've only got back to the Burrow. It was bad, Sirius. Insane."

"I hear you, Harry." Sirius replied. The message sent and received that they wouldn't share everything. "Tell me."

Harry began the story, dropping onto his bed and the others sat on either side to share their observations and thoughts as the tale went. When Hermione slipped into a tangent on elf rights over Winky it gave Harry a chance to mention his suspicions over how Crouch treated the poor creature.

"I admit it sounds strange." Sirius admitted with a frown. "Crouch was as fanatical against the Death Eaters as they were for Voldemort."

Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather as he felt stereo shivers to the use of feared name.

"Morgana, he sent his own son to Azkaban. But I know better than anyone that people can change."

"What about Winky?" Harry frowned in agreement with his friend over the elf's situation. "She didn't deserve what Crouch did to her and she seemed pretty messed up when she was freed."

"Well..." Sirius drew out, grey eyes clearly thinking the situation over. "Grimmauld Place could certainly do with a woman's touch who wasn't touched in the head."

"Thanks." Harry smiled in relief that the likeable elf wouldn't be left to flounder. He chose to ignore Sirius' weak joke.

"Hey, Sirius, Harry did some wicked thing to the Malfoys." Ron chirped up, far too enthusiastic over the subject for Harry's liking. "It had Mrs. Malfoy crawling in front of Fudge."

Ron was sorely disappointed if he thought Sirius would enjoy the news. The Black Scion sighed painfully. "You gave her the year?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded and their voices matched in the sadness they contained. "I didn't like it but Malfoy the elder was doing his usual."

"We knew you'd have to do it at some point, Pup." Sirius said in an attempt to ease any guilt Harry might be feeling. "Doing it outside of Hogwarts lets the little squirt keep face as he learns is place and...wait, you did it in front of Fudge?"

Harry's answering grin sent the Marauder laughing, the trademark barking sound soothing a panic in Harry he hadn't known was rising. They might have agreed to the plan but it was still Sirius' cousin who had been put on the chopping block.

"Well played, Pup, well played. Stay safe kiddo and don't be a stranger."

"You too, Padfoot." Harry smiled. They closed the mirrors down and he wrapped it back up in its silk wrap.

"I'm sure you both have questions." He said to his friends, replacing the mirror back in its special location in the trunk.

"What the hell happened to you, Harry?"

Whatever Hermione was about to ask was shot down by Ron's shout and her jaw snapped shut in surprise. She looked at the redhead in surprise while Harry's eyebrow rose.

"Elucidate."

Now Hermione's look of shock was aimed at him but Harry didn't mind. In a perverse way he enjoyed using a word he was sure Ron didn't understand.

"What?" Yep, he didn't understand. "Whatever. You've been keeping secrets from your best mate, taking all these potions and doing all that studying. You've become another Hermione."

Neither of the two appreciated _that_ comment _._

"And now I find out you talk to Sirius who knows how often. As much as I loved you putting the Malfoys in their place, you were flouncing around the box like a poncey git doing it."

If Ron had any more complaints they were shot down when Harry rose from his crouch with a low, dangerous growl.

"You're really something, Ron. A real peach." Harry tone deepened while his eyes began to pulse from anger. "I'm being true to myself for once. Me."

Harry's fist pounded his chest in emphasis.

"Pouncey git?" He shook his head in disgust. Absently Harry noticed Hermione moving away from the two boys but his rant was only beginning to warm up. "What I was doing, _Ronald_ , was being the Scion to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. You tell _me_ something, Ron. Did you know the Potters were a Noble and Most Ancient House?"

The guilty cringe told its own story and Harry lost more grip on his anger.

"Yet you never said a word, did you?" He snarled, actually baring his teeth as if to attack and bite. "Oh no, let's keep poor orphan Harry in the dark. Don't tell him a bloody thing about his parents, about his family, about where he's from. Harry's best mate? Doesn't say a word even though he _**knows**_ how important the politics are. How many problems did I miss, Ron? How many issues have I created with people I should be talking to because _you_ decided that it was better I not know where I'm from?"

Ron's attitude completed wilted under the verbal attack and his ears blushed brightly from embarrassment. He'd been raised to know the basics, even hearing about the old connection between the Blacks and Potters, and had spotted that Harry didn't do what was expected. He'd been happy, foolishly thinking it meant Harry was like him in not caring about any of the House stuff. By the time he understood the truth he simply wasn't brave enough to bring it up.

"The other day when you bitched about my potions? Your dad pledged your family to my cause." Harry's voice was rising and Hermione frantically looked to the door as if pleading for someone to break up the fight. "I'm a Potter, Ron, and that means I protect those who I consider my own. Malfoy came to _your_ Dad and badmouthed _your_ family and I stood up for all of the Weasleys. I've put a potential death sentence on all three of them."

"Narcissa?" Harry winced at what he had to do to the woman. "She's Sirius' cousin. Her aunt was my grandmother. She's blood, Ronald-fucking-Weasley, and I've put her life on the line for you and your family. And I could only do that by knowing who and what I am."

"But it wasn't just you was it, Ron." Harry continued, voice drifting off as his deeper issues rose. The floodgates were opened and the words refused to be held back. "Our Head of House, McGonagall? It doesn't matter if James and Lily were her favourite students, let's keep Harry in the dark. And Merlin be damned, Dumbledore? Oh he's right up there, he is, in keeping poor old Harry clueless about the Wizarding world and what it means to be a Potter. Well let me tell you something. If being a poncey git and playing politics means knowing what it means to be a Potter, if come September I have to fight the school over being Scion Potter because being who I am allows me to stand up for my friends against our enemies then I'll happily play the role with bells on."

By this time Harry was standing over Ron, his fingers clenched tightly into fists. The other boy was practically curled inside himself at the verbal onslaught. Ron knew this time he had really put his foot in it.

"And if you have a problem with that, _mate_." Harry spat the word. "Then you'd better stay out of my way at school because I'm not going to stop."

"Harry?" The small frightened voice pulled Harry back his growing rage. He wanted so desperately to flatten his friend but the feeling died a screeching death at the tears swimming in Hermione's soulful brown eyes.

He didn't think, merely reacted, and took the frightened girl in his arms for a tight hug. Her fear at watching their friendships disintegrate was as palpable in the air as his magic had been. Harry buried his face in her frizzy hair, eyes closed, and took soothing breaths of her vanilla scent. His Occlumency shields had taken a battering and he used holding Hermione to ease the pressure on them.

No one was surprised when the door opened to show the remaining Weasleys. With Arthur and Percy already gone it fell on Molly to react.

"Did you really do that, Harry?" She asked timidly, not at all like her usual self. "Did you really put the Potter-Black alliance at risk for us?"

"It was coming, Mrs. Weasley." Harry truthfully told her. "The Malfoys have been a problem for me for years and Lucius is running the Black power block into the ground."

"And Narcissa?"

"That's down to her." Harry shrugged. The way the Weasleys were looking at him was like that of a total stranger and deep down it hurt. "If they don't change and she stands with them then there's nothing I can do to save her."

"Thank you, Harry." Molly replied. She spared a disappointed glance towards Ron and then walked away. Bill and Charlie nodded their own appreciation and followed her to the kitchen. The twins gave him a wink and then there was only Ginny standing at the door.

"Gin?"

"There is only power and those too weak to seek it." She whispered, her eyes lost in the past. Harry knew those words. They were etched into his soul as deeply as they were hers. "I thought that's what you were saying last night but it wasn't, was it?"

"No, Gin." Harry told her, finally releasing Hermione so that he could properly face the other girl. "It's the exact opposite."

The two shared a look. The painful mark of the Dark they bore visible to each other and then she closed the door, leaving the Golden Trio alone.

"I'm a complete git." Ron admitted. "I say things I shouldn't."

"Yes, yes you do." Harry agreed and moved to the spare bed. Hermione settled herself on the floor so she could see the both of them easily.

"Why didn't you tell us anything?" Ron softly asked, needing to understand.

"He's a wanted man, Ron." Harry explained. He sighed, pulling his legs up so he could rest his elbows on the knees. "I did everything I could to keep him safe. I will do everything I can. I didn't know what I didn't know, not until he turned up and explained it all to me. By the time he was done, I was desperate to learn and angry at never being told."

"You've found family." Hermione's soft voice had the two boys looking down at her. "A living link to the past who can teach you."

"For someone like me? That was worth more than all the gold in Gringotts."

Neither saw the disbelief flash across Ron's face at the statement.

.

.

oOoOo

 _._

 _._

 _1st September, 1994_

The rest of the time spent at the Burrow had gone relatively smoothly compared to the first few days. Harry enjoyed finishing off Lily's Potion journal and come away from the book understanding the brewing process better than he ever had. Hermione's eyes glazed over when she found out what was written inside but refused his offer of reading it. It's family connection overriding even her famed love of books.

Books. _The Book._ Harry had been holding back on reading the sacred tome but knew he couldn't, shouldn't, wait much longer. The call he felt in his blood was making his emotions harder to control even with his Occlumency.

He and Ron had settled into a muted routine. It wasn't what it used to be between them but not nearly as bad as their fights at Hogwarts. Hermione continued to be nervous about Harry's changing personality and her place in his life regardless of his constant assurances.

The research about his scar's connection was slow going according to He-of-the-Padded-Foot and he made the mistake of suggesting that Professor Lupin could be brought it. Sirius' furious expression shocked Harry and he made sure not to mention the other Marauder again, silently hoping the two friends could patch up their problems.

The irony of that thought was lost on him.

The big hints on something important happening at Hogwarts continued with the catastrophe that was Ron's dress robes and Harry's quiet offer to pay for better ones was greeted with a lukewarm reception. Since it didn't end with an argument Harry considered that one a win.

Yet on the whole, Harry still enjoyed staying with the Weasleys and Hermione. His time with Sirius had given him the opportunity to appreciate a true family dynamic and seeing it in its most chaotic form found him often smiling at the smallest thing.

When the new look Harry stepped through onto Platform 9 ¾ it sent ripples through the crowd. To the parents who were there it seemed as if James Potter had been resurrected from the grave.

"Should have expected it, Harrikins." Fred beamed. "You looking like a proper Lord n' all was always going to get attention."

"Yeah." George piped in. "I can't wait to see how the Hall reacts."

Harry shook his head, a mirthless smile teasing the corner of his lips. The attention felt as bad as it had the day Hagrid announced him in the Leaky Cauldron but it wasn't as suffocating. Much. Although he was able to catch Hermione's knowing nod at the twins' comments.

The trio found their compartment and were getting comfortable when a timid knock came from the door. Harry turned to see a girl, only a little shorter than he was with long raven hair and baby-blue eyes, standing at the entrance. She gave him a smile and he returned it with a full grin.

"Is it okay if I join you?" She asked. Harry felt a connection with the girl, a familiarity that he couldn't place, and nodded before he even fully registered what she had asked.

"Sure. Here, let me help." He took her trunk and easily threw it onto the overhead rack.

"Are you new?" Hermione asked as the girl settled down.

"Yes, I'm Natalia Columbus." She told them, shaking their hands. "I'm transferring from St. Michael's."

"St. Michael's?" Harry asked, glancing to Hermione for help.

"A small magical school in London. They're a day school, usually only has a few hundred students at any one time. You don't get many transferring from one to Hogwarts, if anything it's usually the other way around."

Natalia looked at Hermione in mixed shock and awe that had Harry laughing.

"That's Hermione for ya," he gave another lop-sided grin that had the girl blushing wildly. "She's Hermione Granger. The hungry red-head is Ron Weasley and I'm Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."

Before anything more could be said, the door was opened by Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas poking their heads in to say hello and talk some Quidditch.

When Neville joined them later, Harry decided it was time to face _The Book_ and withdrew it from it pocket.

"What's that you've got there, Harry?" Came the immediate Hermione query.

"A Potter book." Harry explained, opening the blank cream cover. "It's passed down the generations for each new one to read."

Her fingers twitched with excitement at what could be in the pages but she held her tongue, once more honouring Harry's need for a connection to his family, and returned to her conversation with Natalia and Neville.

 _To my descendent,_

 _I am the First of your Blood. The very beginning of the magical line you are a part of. The names may change but your blood does not. It connects you and I through the long years._

 _It is close to my end. After all I have lived through it is time for me to turn my attention towards the Legacy. The legacy that is our blood._

 _Listen to me descendent and understand my words. This book contains Power. Power within the words and inside the very fabric of the Book itself. It will monitor the Voyage de Sang, speaking to you in your own tongue with information as current as is magically possible._

 _If you only read these pages then you will know from where you come from and where our Legacy demands we go. But before you can turn the page you must decide. To fully awaken the information I place inside you must be willing and capable._

 _Bleed on this page and announce thy name, descendent. Prove yourself one of mine and understanding is yours to keep. Fail and the knowledge of your family will forever been offered to you in recompense._

 _Gwydion fab_ _Dôn_

Harry quickly closed the book, thankful that the others were all distracted. He wasn't sure what to make of the introduction but he was extremely wary of a book that held as much autonomy as this one claimed to. Flashbacks to handling Tom Riddle's diary threatened to drown Harry and he couldn't have thanked Malfoy enough when the blond Slytherin yanked open the compartment door. As always he was flanked by his two side-kicks.

"Hello, cousin." Harry smirked, his calm mask slipping in place. "Fancy meeting you here, good chap. How's darling Narcissa?"

Whatever Draco had planned to say was stuck firmly in his throat at Harry's opening gambit. A few impressions of a fish later he slammed shut the door as forcefully as he had opened it. A heartbeat later and the compartment was filled with the laughter and the good humour stayed with them all the way to Hogwarts.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The twins had been spot on in their assessment although Harry would admit he did play up to the event.

He stepped into the Great Hall and stopped, taking his time to look at the scene for the first real time since his Sorting.

 _ **I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man.**_ Sirius' words haunted him in that moment. Would they forever be unable to prove his godfather's innocence? Would they be forced to hide their relationship until the very end?

The questions weighed down on Harry and as they did so a determination rose to meet them. Surely, with the power of two Noble and Most Ancient Houses at his control, he could bring about a trial for the fugitive Marauder?

A hush fell upon the Hall as Harry's new look was noticed. Some enjoyed eyeing him up, others were confused at the change the summer had brought about. The determination hardened his eyes so that for a moment he looked like an arrogant Lord surveying all beneath him. To the more perceptive his aura was that of a wild animal barely restrained.

Harry looked to the teachers' table. The little professor Flitwick looked shocked though was still perched on his chair, and Harry sent him a reassuring smile. The curve of his lips fell when his gaze moved to the centre and Dumbledore. Harry was unable to read anything behind the great beard though the eyes had lost their twinkle. It was the last face that Harry turned to which showed the most emotion.

Severus Snape.

For three years the Potions Professor had been his enemy yet looking at the dark-dressed man in that moment, Harry felt none of the old animosity. The onyx eyes burned with barely contained disgust at seeing a true James Junior and Harry met them openly. Slowly, deliberately, he nodded his head in peaceful acknowledgement that caused the older man to frown with confusion.

The moment passed. Harry moved into the Hall and to his waiting friends, their concerned looks a balm to his sad thoughts.

.

.

oOoOo


	7. Getting Tested

Getting Tested

 _1st September, 1994._

The assignment was too close to Family business for Nymphadora Tonks, Child of Black, to keep it a secret from her mother, To her surprise Andromeda had given it her blessing. _Family takes care of its own._ She'd told her daughter.

Though Tonks was sure Family should not look that damn good at fourteen.

The day after her meeting with Madam Bones, Tonks had moved into the Bones' Manor to spend as much time with Susan as possible. The two girls had hit it off immediately and Tonks was able to gain a lot of information about the goings on within Hogwarts as well as a few crumbs on Harry Potter himself.

She was sure that there were many things that had been left out. Sketchy answers that had Tonks' investigative mind working overtime and the picture that had been painted of the Potter Scion was nothing like the Auror's report from the World Cup. If Harry really had been spending time with her fugitive of a cousin, it had been an extensive period to bring out the changes it had.

Tonks was forced to throw all her preconceived notions aside when she knocked on the door to the compartment and a far too handsome Harry invited her in. Eventually Tonks, as Natalia, fell into an easy conversation with Hermione while Harry and Neville joined in when their interest was caught, leaving the sulking Ron to his thoughts.

Her palms began to sweat as the carriage drew closer to the majestic castle that was Hogwarts. She was heading to the key part to her assignment, the very thing that could upset everything, and there was nothing she could do.

"Natalia, don't worry." Hermione's fingers laced with hers. "The Sorting will go fine and we'll still be your friends no matter what House you're in."

"Unless it's the slimy Slytherins." Ron grumbled.

Hermione's _Ron!_ kept Harry's _Better a live Slytherin than a dead Gryffindor_ hidden to all but Tonks' ears and she turned to the unique boy.

"You believe that?"

"Of course Harry doesn't!" Hermione exclaimed, thinking that Tonks was talking about Ron's comment. Harry simply gave her a sad, heart wrenching smile.

The moment was broken by water balloons exploding around them, soaking many and sending Professor McGonagall sliding to the floor. The Animagus teacher had pulled Hermione with her and Harry took the moment to face down the poltergeist responsible.

"Peeves, front and centre." Harry called out in a commanding voice. Tonks watched his face change from that of a boy to a commanding Lord when the little being floated down.

"Potty-Wotty calls Peeves?"

"Messrs Padfoot and Son of Prongs bid you a good evening, Peeves." Tonks didn't recognise the names but by the look on the eavesdropping Weasley twins, they sure did. "And want to remind you of your agreement."

"Peeves not doing nothing!" The poltergeist glared at Harry.

"Son of Tiger-Lily says otherwise." Harry grinned wickedly and Peeves lost all gusto. Apparently the poltergeist feared Tiger-Lily more than the other names. So much so that the trickster spirit fled as fast as his magic could carry him.

"Ten points, Mister Potter." McGonagall awarded once she got to her feet. "You must be Miss Columbus. If you wait here while the rest of the students go in, we can start the Sorting with you."

"Yes, Professor." Tonks replied, nervous as a true firstie at having to face the Gryffindor Head of House again.

The other students passed through the doors and McGonagall looked down at Tonks.

"You must be good friends with Susan Bones, Miss Columbus. Her aunt, Amelia, doesn't use the power of her position lightly."

"She understands the value of family, Professor." Tonks answered, easily slipping into her fake identity. "Mine is looking after its own and being alone in London isn't as fun as most kids would pretend."

"Indeed not." The two words held more in them than Tonks could ever know and the heavy silence was thankfully broken when the large, wet form of Hagrid appeared with all the firsties. One had obviously fallen into the Lake and was swamped by Hagrid's furry coat.

"'ere you go, Professor. Little tikes need some dryin' out tho'."

"Thank you, Hagrid."

Tonks was able to 'enjoy' the "house is your family" speech once more and then the Scotswoman led them all into the Great Hall. At the last minute she remembered to be impressed by the magic of Hogwarts.

She smiled over at Harry and the others, hiding her nerves, and waited.

"Welcome back." The sparkly-eyed Headmaster spoke up. "We have some important announcements after your meal but first I would like you all to welcome the first transfer student Hogwarts has seen in over thirty years. She may only be here for this year but I want you to make her welcome regardless of which house she joins. Welcome to Hogwarts, Natalia Columbus."

The students clapped politely and Tonks took measured steps to the three-legged stool. The Hat was placed on her head and her heart thundered with fear.

 _Haven't we met before?_ The Sorting Hat's familiar voice spoke in her mind. _You're too old even for a resorting, Miss Tonks. Just what are you up to?_

 _Please, Hat._ She answered. _This is important. Please don't reveal anything._

 _You want my silence?_ The Hat's voice held none of the gentleness it did when she was eleven. _Open your mind young metamorph and show me why you've returned to Hogwarts._

Tonks lowered her Occlumency shields and let the Hat see her meeting with Madam Bones. She was sure it looked at other memories, that was its job after all.

 _Ah._ It mused. _You're here to protect those who can't protect themselves. It's been far too long since these halls were walked by someone with that mission. You have my silence, Miss Tonks, and you have the aid of Hogwarts should you need it._

Tonks sighed, her tense muscles sagging with relief.

 _Now, I think it's time I Sorted Miss Columbus._

 _But Natalia isn't real._ She thought back in confusion.

 _Oh no!_ The Hat laughed. _She is her own person. Nymphadora Tonks was the quintessential Hufflepuff with her loyalty and fair play. But Natalia Columbus is a different girl entirely. She's tricky enough for Slytherin but that wouldn't work for your mission. She's loyal but only to her Family. No, no, Miss Columbus could only ever go one place. She's brave enough to sit beneath me, strong enough to stand beside Mr. Potter in the future and would make Godric himself proud. Yes, it had better be..._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The rotten weather hanging over Hogwarts had not managed to dispel the enthusiasm of one student. Harry found himself giving Colin Creevey a thin, exasperated smile when the sprog excitedly told him about a younger brother, Dennis. Harry distracted himself by imagining what a Muggle house would be like with two of the little live-wires running around in it and then shuddered at the all too clear images his mind produced.

"You okay?" Hermione's whisper brought him back from the living nightmare.

"I'm good, 'Mione." This smile was real and she returned it.

"You're the talk of the school, Harry." Neville said in awe. The Herbology prodigy looked around the Hall with a little fear at all the eyes aimed their way.

"Don't worry about it, Nev." Harry flashed a Marauder-style grin. "I got ahead of the curve. Just wait until you finish filling out and you'd be hiding in those greenhouses of yours to get away from all the girls."

Neville was quickly losing his baby-fat and hit a growth spurt that almost rivalled Harry's. Given all the hard work the shy boy put himself through in the summer, he was even carrying a little more muscle.

"I already am." Came the weak mumble.

Harry was about to forge ahead to find out which girl had caught his friend's attention when the firsties plus Natalia came into the hall and the Headmaster made his announcement.

"Her parents have had to move away to look after a sick relative." Hermione told him over their enthusiast clapping. "Susan's aunt used a favour to have her transfer to us for the year until they got back."

Both boys stared at her to the point they almost forgot to sit back down for Natalia's Sorting.

"How in Merlin's name do you know that?" Harry asked.

"She told me."

" _When?_ "

"When you were reading that book." She told him smugly.

"I read _one_ page!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted, cutting off their talk.

Gryffindor table, led by Harry's small group, stood and clapped for their new member. They were always the more enthusiastic of the houses.

"Quick Sorting." Harry mused as Natalia sat next to Neville opposite Hermione.

"It felt like it took ages." The new girl said, confused, and Neville chuckled.

"It was a few minutes but these two were talking and didn't notice. Don't worry though, Harry's was longer."

"Mate, that's not something you're supposed to talk about in polite company."

There was a stunned silence as the trio realised Harry's double entendre and then Natalia led them into all into a laughing fit. Hermione turned a cute shade of red in embarrassment, Neville buried his head into his arm on the table and Natalia slipped right off her seat. She landed hard on the floor and this sent the rest of Gryffindor off.

"Potter!" Snap bellowed. "Twenty-five points for causing a disturbance to the Sorting."

The Gryffindors sobered up quickly and there was a suspect snickering coming from the Slytherin table. Everyone looked to Harry for his reaction but none would have guessed what he did next.

Harry stood. His tailored robes accentuated his body rather than hide it as the old ones had. He locked eyes with the Potions Professor and then stunned the Hall with a respectful bow.

"That's your prerogative, Professor." Harry's voice was clear to all. "I apologise to you and the new students for holding up their time."

As Harry sat you could have heard a tribble sneeze. As ideas flew through adolescent minds of anything from compulsion spells to pod people being responsible for the change in Harry, it fell to Ron to get everything back on track.

"Hurry up." He moaned. "I could eat a hippogriff!"

"Your execution may be lacking, Mr. Weasley." McGonagall said, looking reproachfully at him. "But your sentiment is accurate. Hat, if you please."

The Sorting Hat's song was different from what Harry remembered and he frowned. Ron, annoyed and hungry, was able to interpret the look.

"Different one every year, innit?" He told Harry. "Boring old life being a hat, probably takes the whole year to make up a new song."

When the Sorting was over and the feast started, Harry once again shocked those watching. While everyone went at their food with their usual gusto - though none as energetic as Ron - Harry took his time and ate with the control of a relaxed Head of House.

They weren't even halfway through the meal when Nearly-Headless Nick brought up Hogwarts having its own house-elves. Harry's hand moved like lightning to clasp Hermione's before his friend could begin ranting. Neither noticed the assessing look Natalia gave through the resulting conversation.

"'Mione." Harry's thumb absently brushed the back of her hand and the miracle of him willingly touching her derailed the girl's brain. The intense look he was giving her didn't help either. "Before you go on a Free All Elves rampage, I want to ask for three things. Okay?"

Sirius had told him how Lily, on learning about the little creatures had driven her friends and teachers almost insane with her research to understand the link between wizard kind and elves. It was this road, rather than the narrow crusade of freedom, that he hoped to send Hermione down.

"Okay, Harry." She gingerly nodded.

"First; a question. If you were able to free every elf in Hogwarts right now and they all decided to go back to how they were before, would you accept that?"

"But they don't know any better!" She argued and out of Harry's periphery vision he saw Nearly-Headless Nick cringe.

"And that's my second thing." He continued. "I want you to do some major research on house-elves. Don't look at what you _think_ is true. Find out why they're bonded, what _they_ get out of the whole thing."

"But I was going to do that." Hermione snapped in defence, not catching his subtle emphasis. "Third?"

"I know a couple of elves." Harry told her in a tone that refused any judgement. "Once you've done your reading and you're still wanting them free, I want you to sit with them and ask questions. Learn from the source as it were. Deal?"

Hermione waged war with her lower lip, looking at his requests back and forth to see what he was really asking of her. She couldn't see a trap even while her mind was niggled by suspicion so eventually relented, giving a firm nod. The loud sigh of relief at avoiding a Mount Granger eruption could only have come from Ron.

The group was able to enjoy the rest of their meal as the storm raged overhead, though if Hermione's enthusiasm was dimmed it was overlooked by the others. Then Dumbledore rose.

"Now that we are all fed and watered." Hermione grumbled. "I must once more ask for your attention. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind students that many items are banned, the impressive number is now four hundred and thirty-seven items, and a full list is available at his office for those curious enough to read it.

"As ever, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all students to enter."

"What about first year?" Harry scoffed, catching Tonks' attention. Her head swivelled when Ron followed up.

"And second. 'Follow the spiders!'"

"It is also my sad and painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred blurted out.

"I am not joking, Mister Weasley." Came the immediate reply. "Though I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, hag and leprechaun who go into a bar..."

Professor McGonagall's not so quiet clearing of throat brought the aged Headmaster back to the topic only for the Hall doors to slam open.

Everyone turned to see a man standing in the doorway, a long staff held tightly in one grizzled hand. A flash of lightning illuminated the man as he threw his hood back to reveal a dark, grey mane.

"Impressive entrance." Harry murmured and Neville franticly nodded his head in agreement.

 _What in Morgana's name is Mad-Eye doing here?_ Tonks thought in a panic.

The heavily scarred face held the students' attention as the man took his time walking towards the teachers' table. The large, electric blue, false eye had the students cringing when it swivelled to assess each of them. Harry felt a sense of dread was over him when that eye lingered in his direction.

Dumbledore and the strange man exchanged a handshake and small conversation and then the man took the empty teacher's chair.

"Allow me to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore beamed at the shocked students. "Professor Moody."

Only the teachers, sans Snape, clapped. When the new Professor took a swig from his hip-flask, Harry caught sight of the clawed peg-leg.

"As I was saying." Dumbledore cleared his throat to regain their attention. "The cancellation of Quidditch is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy. I have the great pleasure in announcing that this year Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

"Really?" George mirrored his brother's shout.

"Yes, really, Mister Weasley and Weasley." Dumbledore replied, eye twinkling as the students laughed.

Harry felt like doing anything but laughing and the more Dumbledore talked, the worse he felt.

"The Tri-Wizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion is selected from each school to compete in three magical tasks. Alas the death toll mounted so high that it was discontinued."

"Death toll?" Hermione whispered to Harry, her soft eyes blazing with fear. His grim look matched her concerns.

"Our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-list contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are the most worthy to compete for the glory of their school and a thousand gallons prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred stage whispered down the table

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Tri-Wizard Cup to Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued over the rising whispers. "It has been agreed that that only students of age, that is seventeen or older, will be allowed to put their names forward for consideration. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion."

Harry's scoff caused Hermione to give him a strange look but he ignored her to look towards the mutinous twins.

"Hey Fred." He called perhaps slightly louder than he should have. "What's the odds of me somehow getting involved in this thing?"

"You're not thinking of trying, are you Harry?" Neville asked with concern.

"Of course he is!" Ron jumped in. "You'd have to be an idiot not to want to."

The cold glare Harry gave his friend cooled Ron's enthusiasm. The talking had masked the sound of Professor McGonagall approaching behind them.

"I do hope you aren't thinking of trying to enter, Mister Potter." The stern Scottish brogue was filled with obvious disapproval.

"Halloween, Professor." Harry told his Head of House without turning around. "Think of my luck with that date and tell me you wouldn't be concerned if you were me. Think I'll ever have a peaceful year here?"

Those who heard him cringed at the reminder and Tonks grew more worried for her charge. She needed details. Badly. She had a sinking feeling she had found herself in much deeper situation than she'd first imagined.

"The Headmaster has it well in hand." McGonagall told him in a softer voice that didn't seem to have any affect on him. "And he wishes to see you in his office."

Harry shrugged and stood, nodding to his friends. He and Sirius had expected something to happen once the faculty caught sight of the new, improved him.

"Does that happen often?" Tonks asked Hermione as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. "Harry getting called up to see the Headmaster?"

"He's spoken to Professor Dumbledore more than most students."

"He's right, you know." Ron said quietly. "The troll first year, finding Mrs. Norris petrified second, Sirius last year. He doesn't have any luck with Halloween."

"Troll? Petrified?" Tonks' head swivelled back and forth between the two friends so fast she caused herself to stumble, saved from hitting the floor by Neville's quick reflexes. She gave him a thankful smile. "What's gone on in this place?"

That evening was the most insightful of Tonks' fledgling career to date.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

"You will be exempt from classes tomorrow, Mister Potter." McGonagall told Harry as she took her brisk strides down the empty corridor. "Instead you'll have your Ancient Runes and Arithmancy assessments in the morning. The afternoon will be us discussing your results and were you go from here."

"Thank you, Professor." Harry replied, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. "I appreciate the opportunity you're giving me."

"Your letter surprised me." She admitted. "Pleasantly so I may add. I've been waiting for you to show your potential, especially with how bright Lily and James were."

The words scratched the sore nerve in Harry and he stopped moving. McGonagall stopped a few steps later and turned to him.

"Mister Potter..." An eyebrow raising in question.

"Tell me something, _Professor._ "The emotional growl that tended to worm its way into his speech had returned and his eyes took on a dirty grey hue. "How am I supposed to know what my parents were like if no one speaks to me about them?"

McGonagall's mouth snapped shut and she pursed her lips in disappointment to his tone. Yet behind the firm exterior Harry could see a small spark of confusion in her eyes.

"I've heard how smart they were." Harry elaborated with a heavy sigh. "But no one here tells me anything more. You think I grew up hearing stories about them? Think my magic hating aunt regaled me with tales of her witch sister and wizard brother-in-law?"

Harry's tone grew steadily more filled with venom until the sound of it shocked him back to his senses. He took a deep, calming breath and released it in a regret filled explosion of air. His posture took on that of the Lord he would become.

"Professor McGonagall, as Scion to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter I humbly apologise for my attitude. I have been here for three years and could have easily come to you for information rather than waiting for it to be given."

And it was true. His rant at Ron about the lack of details from McGonagall meant something only if she had been deliberately hiding it from him. He had simply never asked.

The switch in attitude caught McGonagall in mental whiplash. But true to her nature, she was quick to recover and reply.

"No, Harry." She answered softly, tears watering her vision from his words. "We've all done you a disservice by not telling you more about them. If you wish, you can come to my office and I'll tell you some stories."

They shared a smile and continued the walk, the proud woman making sure to get the last word in as they approached the stone gargoyle.

"Though watch your tongue next time, young man. Ice Mice."

He chuckled and agreed. It was a more relaxed duo who then stepped into Dumbledore's office to find the other three Head of Houses along with Madam Pomfrey waiting.

"Ah, Harry, my boy." Dumbledore beamed from behind his desk. "Please take a seat. I trust you know why you're here?"

Harry nodded to each member of staff and dropped languidly into the offered chair, his Marauder side peaking out through the cheeky look he gave Dumbledore.

"You want me to convince the Weasley twins not to try entering the tournament?"

Flitwick chuckled loudly and even McGonagall's lips twitched. Snape only sneered, barely holding back a nasty retort.

"Alas, no." Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses at Harry. "My protections will keep them out."

"Good." Harry said, looking around the office.

It was filled with knick-knacks and strange machines. Harry found his gaze drawn to the beautiful bird perched on its golden stand. The phoenix, Fawkes, looked back and Harry felt something stir within him at the intensity in those black eyes.

"Planning on entering yourself, Potter?" Drawled Snape, bringing Harry's attention back to the moment. "Wanting glory like your father?"

Harry turned his head and matched the unpleasant teacher eyes. He sat up straight in the chair and when he spoke, his words were clear, focused and shocking to the man opposite.

"18th November, 1975..."

"Harry..." Dumbledore gasped while Snape's eyes widened.

"The date that changed seven people's lives." He continued over the Headmaster's protests. "It fractured the friendships between three brothers in all but blood, forced my father to grow up and face the idea of consequences, and marked you forever.

"Potions Master Snape, there is nothing I can do to right the wrongs of that night. But know this, it and those years have been forever regretted. And no, I have no wish to enter the tournament."

"Well," Dumbledore sighed into the silence following Harry's speech. "I think that answers the question of your physical appearance. Sirius."

That Snape made no comment to the mention of his school enemy was proof of how deeply Harry's words affected him.

"He took an abused boy suffering malnutrition." Harry snarled, turning away from the haunted dark eyes and into the sparkling blue ones. "And gave him the body he should have possessed in the first place. Leave Sirius alone, Headmaster."

"Abused?" McGonagall moaned and then turned a glare at Dumbledore. A growl came from Professor Flitwick while Professor Sprout looked ready to murder someone. "Worst sort of Muggles, Albus! Worst sort."

"Perhaps another time, Minerva?" Dumbledore hurriedly said, his raised hand forestalling any further comments. "We need to get back to the important matter. Harry, we would like Madam Pomfrey to test you. To make sure nothing dangerous has been done to your body."

Harry looked at the medi-witch in question and saw regret and sorrow etched in her face at not being able to help him. He felt on the brink of a Moment as he stared into her haunted eyes. Would he deny the request, spitting in the kind woman's face for not spotting his past?

The room waited as he thought through the request when suddenly Fawkes broke into song. The magical sound soothed Harry's mental pains, reaching into his mind to touch deep within.

Harry whistled along with the song, not noticing how in tune he was with the majestic bird.

"Test away, Madam Pomfrey." He acquiesced, olive branch held out once the song was over. "I'm at your tender mercies."

"Cheeky boy," she smiled softly as she stood.

With her wand held like a conductors baton, the spells flowed smoothly over Harry. A parchment and quill appeared beside the matron to document the results.

The teachers watched Pomfrey while Dumbledore kept his eyes firmly on Harry. The look gave Harry a feeling he was some type of complicated puzzle that needed its answer found and he wasn't impressed.

"All fine." Pomfrey declared, breaking him out of his thoughts. "But I want you to come to the hospital wing tomorrow for a _chat_."

The look she gave Harry made him very sure he wouldn't enjoy the consequences of disobeying and he gulped, nodding.

"Excellent." Dumbledore declared, somewhat subdued. "Well that will be all, Harry. You'll want to be well rested for your tests tomorrow."

Accepting the dismissal, and seeing the angry glares McGonagall were giving the Headmaster, Harry made his way to the door. He stopped when he took hold of the handle and looked back and in that moment it was a stern Lily Evans glaring at the group.

"Professors, for the record I don't want anything to do with the Tournament. Remember that."

Harry's departure left a heavy silence that was broken by the Sorting Hat.

"I told him Slytherin would help him on his way to greatness." It chortled. "And the most Slytherin of Families is helping him do exactly that!"

"Sebastian?" Dumbledore looked at the Hat in concern.

"He's a Potter, Dumbledore." Sebastian the Hat snapped. "A Potter with Black blood running thickly through his veins. The School itself understands the importance of that. Great things are coming Headmaster, great but terrible things, and that boy is going to be at the centre of most of them."

The Hat became still and silent once more, the Professors staring at each other in confusion. It was down to Snape to react first.

"Preposterous." He sneered, standing tall before storming out of the office. It was McGonagall who took up the conversation next.

"About those Muggles, Albus..."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Harry took his time making his way to Gryffindor Tower. It was when he reached the Fat Lady's portrait that he remembered he didn't know the password. He stood there debating over whether he could sweet talk her into letting him pass when the painting opened and a familiar bushy head peaked out.

"There you are! We've been waiting."

Harry found himself pulled through the hole to find Neville and Natalia talking softly on the sofa. He looked around and noticed the lack of a familiar face.

"He wanted an early night." Hermione explained as she dragged him to a seat.

"After talking about how great it would be to enter the tournament." Neville added with a weak smile. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"You're a good friend, Neville." Natalia told the boy. "Everything okay with Dumbledore?"

Harry looked at the three of them and felt his spirits lift. These three cared about _him_ not the Boy-Who-Lived.

"My new body." He explained, leaning back in the chair to relax. "They had Madam Pomfrey check me over. Aside from having to visit her lair for a lecture tomorrow, it's a clean bill of health."

"Well you can't blame them, Harry." Hermione's defence of the teachers didn't surprise him in the slightest. "They're looking after you."

"Maybe." He replied, fighting back a yawn. An early night might not be a back idea. "Snape was there."

"Professor Snape."

"I don't mean to be rude." Natalia slid in. "But what's up between you two?"

"Ancient history." Harry explained as he stared up at the ceiling. "Left overs between my dad and his friends and Snape when they were students. I've settled it now."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked nervously.

"An overdue apology." Harry replied with a frown as he wondered if a Marauder apology would have changed the past three years. "As far as I'm concerned it's done with."

"Oh my god!" Hermione suddenly shrieked, causing the three to look at her in concern. "You've got your tests tomorrow. You should be resting. Or studying. No, definitely resting. Go to bed, mister!"

Their laughter filled the common room and Hermione smiled bashfully at how motherly she had sounded. Harry wished them a good night and headed off to the dorm room, slipping easily to sleep despite Ron's impersonations of a chainsaw.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _2nd September, 1994_

Harry woke feeling ready for the day yet also slower than he was used to. It was on his way to breakfast that he remembered that he hadn't been for a run since he left Privet Drive and found himself missing the experience. The decision to pick the habit up again put an extra pep in his step.

Breakfast went smoothly aside from Ron calling him 'ruddy mental' for choosing to take the exams while Hermione's quick pop-quiz had Neville and Natalia chuckling. He headed off to the Ancient Runes classroom with their good luck wishes ringing in his ears.

Bathsheba Babbling was a small, curvy woman with a red pixie-cut that highlighted a prominent bone structure. Harry had heard she was as no nonsense in class as McGonagall, yet catch her for a one-on-one talk and she could be as lively as Flitwick. That her best friend on the staff was Septima Vector, a taller brunette whose personality was the reverse, was an amusing fact to their colleagues.

"Mister Potter, early I see." The softly spoken woman commented. "As my classes don't begin until later I'll be your examiner. You will start with Arithmancy and when finished move straight to your Ancient Runes exam. There will be no break, do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor." Harry said as he took his seat. The papers were already on the desk waiting.

"Believe me, Mister Potter." She added in a serious tone that showed her disbelief in the entire procedure. "While Arithmancy can be picked up late, my class requires intense learning of different runes. If your score fails to match my requirement then I'll place you in my third year group whether you like it or not."

Harry nodded and, truthfully, he had expected nothing less. In his letter he had been adamant that he was changing courses and knew the tests were a concession by the Hogwarts staff that he was lucky to receive.

"Begin."

Harry's quill flew across the page, the movements fluid enough that to an outsider it could have been assumed he was sketching instead of answering questions. He had always had an affinity for Muggle mathematics and found it branched into the Wizard Arithmancy smoothly. His mind's eye showed him floating equations, pieces of spells breaking off to reattach elsewhere or to another spell entirely as a way of providing the answer to the question posed.

As he moved onto the Ancient Runes exam, he was oblivious to the world and unaware of the critical eye Professor Babbling gave him. He only dimly noticed that she had _accio_ 'd the Arithmancy paper off his desk and he certainly didn't see her surprised look as she skimmed the pages.

Harry took a reasonable amount of time with the Ancient Runes questions, mostly so he would get the slant and thrusts of the runes exactly right. It had been too long since he had allowed his mind the freedom to push itself academically and there was a small buzz reminiscent of how he felt after a hard but rewarding jog. Absently he connected it with Hermione's love of learning.

It was a couple of hours before lunch when Harry finished and was released to his own devices. He stood outside the classroom, its door now firmly closed, and looked around. He had some time to pass until the results were in.

"I need somewhere for myself," he mused aloud.

"Master Harry Potter sir." The unmistakable voice of Dobby sounded before the pop of elf apparition announced his arrival. He was wearing his version of a butler uniform, except the jacket was bright, emerald green. He was also wearing Harry's old sock, now with its end cut off, around his ear as a warmer. "You bes needing the Come and Go Room."

"Dobby," Harry said, doing his best not to laugh. "Have you been waiting all this for me to say I need something?"

"Master Harry Potter sirs dogfather not bes needing Dobby."

Harry had to admit it was perfect Dobby logic. "What's this Come and Go room then?"

"Dobby hear it from Hogwarts elves when he bes speaking to them over Master Harry Potter sirs menu. It be a place that sometimes is there, sometimes not, but when it appears it always has the seeker's needs."

"That's brilliant." Harry beamed at his friend, his imagination running wild at what could be done with such a room. "Where is it?"

"Seventh floor, Master Harry Potter sir." The house-elf bounced on the spot in excitement at helping his Master. "You bes going to the painting of the dancing trolls. Dobby bes seeing you there!"

The elf popped away and Harry made his way to the seventh floor corridor. He pulled out the Marauder's Map and focused in on the area Dobby had described. The map refused to show any room and Harry wondered if he was going to see a place not even the legendary Marauders had found. Then he remembered the Chamber of Secrets and smirked. _I should ask Padfoot how to make my own one of these._

His excitement shrivelled slightly when he found Dobby standing in front of a bare wall but the elf's enthusiasm held his tongue.

"Master Harry Potter sir, walk in front of the wall three times saying what you bes wanting. The Room of Requirement then gives it to you."

"Is that it's official name?" The energetic nodding had Harry shrugging and he followed his friend's instructions. "I need a place to relax. I need a place to relax. I need a place to relax."

Where there was once a blank wall, a small door appeared. Harry and Dobby beamed at each other with the former opening the door to reveal an exact copy of the living room from Sirius' tent.

"This is fantastic, Dobby." Harry cried out, stepping into the room and spinning around to take in the perfection of the replica. "Thank you. Hey, do you think you can get me an early lunch?"

The elf eagerly popped away and Harry dropped onto his favourite chair, eyes widening as it gave in the exact places that the original did.

Harry looked around, wondering why the room had given a replica of the tent. When Dobby appeared with his lunch and he half expected Sirius to walk through one of the doors he had his answer. It felt like home.

.

.

oOoOo


	8. Harry's Ripples

Harry's Ripples.

 _2nd September, 1994._

After an enjoyable lunch Harry spent the rest of his free time exploring the wonders and magic of the Room of Requirement. He marvelled at the way the Room could adapt to whatever it was he needed, though it needed what Muggles would call a 'reset' to be capable of a complete change.

He tried asking for what he thought was improbable only for a door to appear that opened up near the Fat Lady's portrait. Unfortunately the trick didn't allow him to access the Chamber of Secrets but Harry wasn't too surprised since it was also hidden from the Marauder's Map.

Harry had always wanted to try skateboarding since he'd seen a boy doing it on Privet Drive. He found the experience not as fun as his young self had thought it would be, and the perfect copy of that long ago seen skateboard faded into mist when taken out of the room. Feely cheeky, he then asked for _Hogwarts: A History_ , and was surprised when the first edition survived his trip into the corridor.

Harry mused over the conundrum, wondering why the toy would be a fake yet the school book wasn't, and then felt like hitting himself over the obviousness of the question.

"You must be able to bring things from other areas of the castle." He said to the blank wall, thumb idly brushing over the book's cover.

"Master Harry Potter Sir needs to bes going to sees his teachies." Dobby told him, popping in with a nervous look.

"Thanks, Dobby." He smiled in gratitude and hastily stuffed the book into his bag.

The Black Watch told him he'd be late if he went the normal way so it was with a wicked grin that Harry had the Room create a door not far from his goal.

When Harry entered the classroom he found Professors McGonagall, Babbling and Vector. The three imposing women were talking in hushed, animated tones that stopped as soon as they saw him.

"Mister Potter." His Head of House started off. "I believe I know the person behind what I've seen today even if I don't know the reason behind it. What I will say is I hope to see such dedication and ability in my own class."

"I passed." He grinned cheek to cheek at her words.

"You didn't simply 'pass', Potter." Professor Vector scoffed. "You came in the top 5% of your year in Ancient Runes and completely blew away my exam. In fact, it was only that you used the Chaldean method with some Babylonian Chaos aspects rather than keep within the Agrippan method that kept you from beating Miss Granger's score."

"But the Chaldean method makes more sense." Harry frowned, remembering the question. "It allows you to transpose pieces of the spell into other equations easier and the Babylonian Chaos factor would have multiplied the intended effects..."

McGonagall coughed loudly, stopping Harry before he built up a head of steam only for them to be distracted when Vector clapped wildly at his argument. Her accompanying giggles de-aged the teacher drastically and the other two women blinked in surprise. Harry merely flashed his lopsided grin.

"Anyway." The tough Scotswoman took back control of the meeting with a put upon shake of the head. "Your timetable is now finished. You have the rest of the day to yourself but you're expected to catch on anything you've missed. Falling behind is not an option, Mister Potter."

Harry took the offered schedule, the sense of accomplishment burning strongly, and he couldn't stop smiling.

"I look forward to you in my class, Potter." Vector gushed.

"As do I." Babbling added, amusement at her friend's glee causing her eyes to sparkle in a much nicer way than Dumbledore's.

He nodded to the three woman and all but skipped to the door. He was stopped when McGonagall called out.

"Congratulations, Harry. They would be extremely proud of you."

Harry nodded, emotions building against his still new control, and quickly entered the corridor before the tears could fall. He wondered about what to do with himself and then remembered his earlier desire for a run.

 _No time like the present._ He told himself.

By the time Harry was at the entrance hall in his running outfit he was cursing his humility. When Sirius had taken him out on the massive shopping spree, his godfather had wanted to get him a wand holster. Harry, being Harry, had flatly refused.

"What would I need with a wand holster?" He grumbled as he started off the warm-up lap. "I don't need anything fancy like that, Sirius. I can carry my wand, Sirius. Now I have to hold the blasted thing as I run, Sirius. I'm a bloody plonker, Sirius."

The jog around the Black Lake continued in the same manner with him finding more things he was still unhappy with. The impotent anger that had been a part of Harry's life since he could remember stretched like a beast inside him, demanding to be out whatever the cost.

Harry snarled in defiance. His lips curled back and lowered his head as the first circuit as complete. The Boy-Who-Lived pushed off hard in a desperate attempt to run his demons into the ground.

The world disappeared in blur, the ritual of the run giving Harry something to give his total focus to. Powerful legs kept him moving for far longer than any of the students within Hogwarts could have managed. The sweat poured, his heart thundered and his feet pounded the uneven ground yet Harry continued to drive himself harder.

He held his wand tightly, never noticing the small sparks it gave off in time with his emotional spikes. It was only when Harry had pushed himself to his limits that he allowed himself to begin slowing.

It was towards the end of the warm-down lap that Harry noticed he had a small crowd watching him. He gave the girls an exhausted, Marauder-worthy smile, nodded to the few boys, and headed into the castle without a word to any of them. The thin white t-shirt was plastered to his chest and though everything burned, he felt truly alive.

Out of nowhere came two loud bangs that echoed up and down the hall. Harry pushed his abused body into a run through the crowd, not caring who he bumped into, and then skidded to a stop at the source of the commotion. It took a moment for his brain to process what he was seeing and yet it still didn't make sense.

His friends were standing near a dark burn mark on the wall. Neville stood protectively in front of Hermione, his face twisted in a rage Harry had never seen the quiet boy possess, and Natalia stood in a precision perfect duelling stance with her wand ready for use.

Yet it was Professor Moody who took most of Harry's attention. The strange man was bouncing a very frightened looking white ferret up and down.

Harry edged closer to his friends, all the while his eyes remained fixed on the hypnotic movement of the small animal.

"Guys? What's going on?"

"Where have you been?" Ron hissed. Neville simply nodded at Harry while the two girls took in his outfit and physical condition.

"Professor Moody!" The shocked voice of Professor McGonagall held back Harry's reply.

The Scotswoman stormed up to the heavily scarred teacher, though she too wasn't immune to watching the bounce of the ferret.

"What are you doing?" She asked nonplussed.

"Teaching." Moody casually answered.

"Teaching?" She shrieked, her wand appearing instantly in her hand. "Is that a _student_ , Moody?"

"Yep."

"Absolutely not!" With a flash the ferret had been replaced by a much frazzled Draco Malfoy. Harry wasn't sure whether to laugh or...well laugh. "We do not use Transfiguration as punishments."

Harry watched as Crabbe and Goyle managed to pull the shocked Draco to his feet. He could easy guess that the Malfoy Scion had been his pompous self and the new professor had taken advantage. He sighed and shook his head, wondering if the boy would ever learn.

"I know." Ron giggled quietly. "Brilliant, isn't it?"

Harry and Natalia shared a sad look at the red-head's reaction. With the commotion over with he became acutely aware of how badly in need of a shower he was.

"I'll see you guys for dinner." He told them, turning towards Gryffindor Tower. "And I passed!"

The three vibrant smiles carried Harry's tired feet all the way to the showers. Ron's smile had been strained but Harry refused to worry about his friend's reaction.

It was a much more refreshed Harry who sat down for the tail end of dinner.

Hermione had already disappeared on her elf research project and Ron eagerly filled the silence with his constant retelling of the Draco-Ferret story. Harry was thankful for when Neville interrupted.

"You run often, Harry?"

"I started in the summer." Harry told him. The question had caught Natalia's attention and she openly listened with interest. "It hurt in the beginning but now I really enjoy it. I miss it when I don't get a chance to run."

"And it did..." Neville waved his fork at Harry in a wide sweep to signify his new body. "That?"

"It did some of it, Nev." Harry shrugged and took a bite of his steak, savouring the flavour as he thought of the best way to explain. "The running is about stamina. The more I push myself, the harder and faster I can go without stopping, the better my body gets. I get fit and can outlast a lot of people in a duel just by having more energy. I've also started physical work too. You know, learning how to fight and wrestle, that type of thing."

"Why do you need to know how to do stuff like that?" Ron asked in confusion and a little disdain at the Muggle activity.

"It's about safety." Harry replied, still focusing on Neville. "The better I am, the greater my chances if I find myself in a dangerous situation. I could out-run people trying to hurt me or fight them when they're too used to using a wand."

"Sounds like too much hard work to me. Zap 'em and be done with it, I say." Ron argued before returning to his dinner.

"And protection too." Natalia added. Neville hungrily absorbed what they were telling him. "He can protect people using what he's learning. My dad's cousin is into a lot of Martial Arts and it can really come in handy."

Neville looked to the ceiling, his eyes lost in a world of their own, but at Natalia's conclusion he refocused on Harry.

"Can you teach me? Could I run with you?"

"Yeah, mate." Harry nodded. There was pain in his friend's face. A need to not be someone the world chewed up and spat out, driven by something from deep inside Neville. Harry didn't know the details and before the summer he would have ignored the signs. He recognised the look for what it was for the simply reason he had seen it in own green orbs growing up.

"Natalia? Ron? You two want to join in?"

"You're all ruddy mental, you know that?" Ron scoffed and to the surprise of everyone he stormed away from the table with food still left on his plate.

"Sure." Natalia said as they watched the boy walk away. "I used to do a little back home."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Harry was alone when he eventually made his way to Madam Pomfrey's domain. The others were back in class and that had left him twiddling his thumbs. So, treating the visit like a band-aid, Harry decided a trip to the Hospital Wing early would be best. At least he'd have the rest of the day to himself.

"Ah, Mister Potter." Pomfrey's voice a slightly sickly-sweet tone that made his even more nervous. "I was sure I'd be hunting you down tomorrow for our little chat. You've surprised me."

"I decided to come quietly." He gave his lopsided grin and hopped onto the bed nearest the matron. "No need sending out the search n' rescue for little ol' me."

The witch looked down her nose at Harry and his grin slipped at the edges. She gave a humph and went into her office, returning with the scroll from her examination.

Pomfrey paused to study Harry and her features softened. She pulled up a chair to sit facing him with an air of melancholy that startled him.

"I want to apologise, Potter." She began. The king woman aged before his eyes and her shoulders sagged beneath the guilt she was feeling. "My Hippocratic Oaths are all about helping people and I failed you in the biggest way."

"Madam Pomfrey..."

"No." She interrupted him with a shake of the head. "I can excuse it away, Harry; I believed that if something was really wrong the Headmaster would have known, the school doesn't do mandatory checks, when you've been here as a patient I was only focused on healing what I knew was wrong and not checking for anything more, but it doesn't change anything..."

The tears began to fall. Slowly at first and by the time Harry rose from the bed to pull the distraught matron into a loose hug they were a torrent. He suspiciously eyed the scroll she held, wondering if the legacy of his time with the Dursleys were recorded on it.

"I forgive you." He told her although the truth was a little more complicated.

Harry had often wondered why none of his teachers at his Muggle primary school had not noticed his home-life. Of course when he _had_ spoken to someone it had resulted in more punishments from the Dursleys after they convinced the teacher he was laying. Harry had came to the conclusion that most, if not all, teachers simply never saw it. He forgave Pomfrey because to not do so would mean releasing the anger he had buried about all the others.

The older witch gave him a quick hug back and then pulled away, the change from broken woman to no-business nurse almost magical.

"Thank you." She replied, wiping away her tears. He nodded and settled back down on the edge of the bed. "Now, the spells I performed yesterday told me everything. I've kept the report under a very unique spell so that no one could ever read it but me. The potions have done a wonderful job on you, although there are still echoes of your previous condition remaining."

Harry jerked at the news and his fingers clenched into tight fists.

"Don't worry, they'll fade in time." She gently told him. "Give yourself a year and there won't be any evidence of any of it unless someone does a deep scan and looks. You're as healthy a young man as you should be and when the echoes fade no one would ever know differently."

"Thank you." He smiled in relief only to get a suspicious feeling when she didn't return it.

"Everything is good. Except for three interesting things."

Harry's eyebrows rose. This was certainly not what she'd said at the meeting.

"Basilisk venom." She pointed at his right arm where the scar from his battle in the Chamber remained. "You still have it running through your blood."

"What?" Harry cried out and gripped the the offending wound through his clothing. "But the phoenix tears?"

"Are _also_ in your blood, Mister Potter." The matron explained, shaking her head in amazement. "A basilisk bite is fatal, there is no getting around that fact."

Harry didn't know what to think. He pulled back his sleeve to look at the scar, his fingertips sliding over the different shaded skin.

"Why aren't I dead?" He whispered in part awe and part horror.

"As I said; there are also phoenix tears in your blood." Pomfrey repeated. "If I had to guess, if I were to examine that scar site I would find a chip of the basilisk's fang embedded in your bone. I believe it's slowly leaking what venom it still possessed into your blood. It seems that the tears are constantly healing the effects."

"Am I dangerous?" He swallowed hard, images of accidentally cutting himself and poisoning his friends raced through his mind.

"No." Was the firm answer. "The tears are counter-acting the effects as they happen. You could no more poison someone with your blood as you could heal them with it. Both venom and tears are locked in some type of dance within your body.. To put it simply, Mister Potter, they are cancelling each other out."

"Freak..." Harry whispered to himself, the old insecurities about being different rising up. His inner control slipped and the small, lost boy he kept hidden pushed at his Occlumency shields. Before it had a chance to weaken him, it was slapped down by the the firm matron.

"Mister Potter!" Pomfrey snapped, her eyes blazing with righteous anger at his self-abuse.

"This." She practically growled as she gripped the forearm in question. "Everything I've just told you is a mark of honour. _You_ , a twelve-year-old boy, went into the dragon's nest. _You_ slayed that horrible creature and saved young Miss Weasley. This scar, Harry, is something to be proud of. It has more to say about who you are than the one on your forehead."

It was Harry's turn to have his eyes fill with tears. He had always seen the scar as a sign of almost failing. Of almost losing to the basilisk. Of almost losing to Riddle's ghost and worse of all, almost losing the chance to save Ginny's life. Yet here, now, was the truth of it. That he _had_ saved Ginny, that he _had_ defeated Riddle and taken down Slytherin's monster.

He blinked the tears away and held her speech to his heart, tattooing them into his very being. For the first time since that horrible Halloween, Harry Potter knew what it was like to have a mother.

"That being said." Pomfrey continued only once she saw him pull himself together. She withdrew her hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do tell me why your body shows signs of continual use of a time-turner."

Harry paled. "Huh..?"

"Oh yes." She smirked, looking far too much like Snape for Harry's liking. "There's an interesting effect with Ministry approved time-turners in that they don't actually allow you to age during your spun back hours. But the older versions, ones that are held by certain families, don't have this safety feature and I recognise the signs. You're physically much closer to being fifteen than a boy with your birthday should be. Now, I'm waiting for an answer."

"Well..." _Quick. Make something up!_ He thought to himself.

"The truth, Mister Potter. My oaths are in effect here." When Harry narrowed his eyes in suspicion she explained. "I promise. Unless I feel you're harming yourself or others and I can't personally do anything to stop you then I promise. What you say here goes no further."

What Pomfrey didn't admit was that she should be sharing it all with Dumbledore but she wanted redemption more than following the rules.

Harry's inner debate lasted as long as it took him to look down at his arm. The change of perspective Pomfrey had given him towards the scar still blazed bright in his heart. He took a deep breath, and a silent prayer that it wouldn't bring hell onto Sirius, took the gamble and spoke.

"Do you know what it's like not to know who you are?" He cocked his head to the side and stared over her shoulder. "To be so in the dark you don't even know what you don't know? Sirius Black is innocent, Madam Pomfrey. I don't mean he convinced me, I mean I saw the actual evidence with my own eyes."

He told the gentle matron of Sirius contacting him, sending him the potions to heal and the Black Watch to turn back time so that they could have their lessons without eating into his summer. Harry made it sound like it was a long-distance communication and Pomfrey pretended to believe him.

"I don't like it." She said finally, shaking her head. "It can be very dangerous and there's too much temptation to mess with time. But with a Family heirloom there's not much even the Ministry could do even if I did tell someone official."

Harry's moment of elation was cut short by her narrowed-eyed glare.

"As of now you're in Hogwarts and not on your holidays. I don't want to catch you using it, do you hear? And you're to come to me if you feel any ill effects. Using a time-turner for any extended period is unhealthy."

Harry nodded eagerly and made to stand up, only to be stopped when she gave him a final warning.

"And if I suspect you're using it to give yourself an alibi for any nefarious purposes I will do my utmost to make your life a living hell for the rest of your time at this school. Have I made myself clear, Mister Potter?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Harry felt two inches tall when he left the hospital wing yet that didn't stop him smiling fondly at their earlier words. He laughed and shook his head at how the woman was capable of bringing out such a clash of feelings whenever he visited her.

And he actually trusted her to keep his secret. _Trust_. He mused. A concept he was slowly learning to enjoy.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _3rd September, 1994_

Harry got up early for his run and nudged the still sleeping Neville awake. The two boys, the sleepy-eyed one wearing one of Harry's spare outfits, made it down to the Common Room at the same time as Natalia did and managed to catch the girl tripping down the last few steps.

"You're a bit energetic this morning." Harry grinned at the girl while Neville grumbled a weak 'good morning'.

Her reply caused Neville to blush profusely and Harry to merely laugh. He'd heard worse from Sirius.

The three made a quiet trip down to the front doors. The weather was still warm, the turning of the seasons not hitting for at least another couple of weeks, and Harry wanted to make good use of it.

"We need to warm up." He explained as he began the exercises. "It may look silly but I've tried not doing this and ended up hurting a lot. You never know when something could go wrong."

Harry went into details on how painful it could be for a body not prepared and a stunned Neville was soon eagerly doing everything he was told.

Tonks was surprised at the extent of Harry's routine. It was exactly what her basic training instructor had forced into her brain at the Auror Academy. It was proof that Harry was in close contact with the former Auror Sirius and that their relationship was a healthy one rather than what everyone was convinced it was.

"We're going to be taking it slow." Harry explained once they had finished. "Don't give me that look, Nev. Growing stamina is the same as growing a plant; you lay as good a foundation as you can, go slow and let it happen gradually. When either of you feel like you can't go on, I want you to push for a little bit more and then stop. Don't just give up immediately. There's nothing better than when you prove to yourself that you're better than what your body is telling you."

The gentle run worked better than Harry had expected. While Neville was breathing hard half-way around the Lake, his friend had managed to push on for another quarter before dropping back into slow walk. Natalia lasted the full lap and then stopped to have him pick up speed for a lap on his own.

"He's changed a lot." Neville told Natalia once he got to her. "It's crazy."

"From all the stories I've heard about him, he's had to."

"Yeah..." He looked at Tonks and she saw the struggle as he debated over whether to say what was on his mind. She waited patiently, not wanting to push the shy boy. "He inspires me. People expect so much of him, you know? And he's making something of himself rather than listen to them."

"It's something all of us should do." She told him, thinking of her own issues with being a Metamorphmagus.

When Harry finished his run the trio made their way back to their dorms to change for breakfast. It would be Harry's first day of classes with double Potions at the very end. _Well if it's bad, I'll at least have the weekend to recover._ He thought.

"Potter, the Headmaster would like to speak to you in his office." McGonagall told him at the end of breakfast. "I expect you to get to Transfiguration as soon as you've finished with him."

"Yes, Professor." Harry said, taking the offered note. The scrap of paper mentioned nothing extra aside from the old man's sweet of the week.

He sighed. Somehow he knew it was going to be a long year.

The trip the Dumbledore's office took less time than he would have preferred and all too soon Harry stood in front of the stone gargoyle.

"Ice Mice."

Harry climbed the stairs with his head high, his Scion Potter mask slipping into place by the time the 'enter' sounded from behind the door.

Dumbledore was alone except for the beautiful sight of Fawkes. The phoenix preened himself on his golden stand and Harry ignored the wizard in preference to making his way over to the truly great bird. Since his talk with Pomfrey, Harry had felt a greater affinity with the phoenix and the gratitude to Fawkes for saving his life had only grown.

Fawkes preened happily as Harry's knuckles slid down his chest. Harry couldn't help but wonder if the phoenix knew what was still in his blood.

"He seemed determined to see you this morning, Harry." Dumbledore told him, an amused twinkle in the pale eyes at watching the two together. "I think you impressed him with your whistle yesterday. It certainly impressed me."

Harry shrugged, grinning slightly when Fawkes trilled almost indignantly at Dumbledore for his words.

"We were in battle together, Professor." Harry replied as he turned to face the older wizard. "It bonds people in many different ways."

Fawkes sung his agreement, emphasising the point with large nods. When Harry sat on the available chair Fawkes swooped to sit in his lap.

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?" He asked, fingers continuing to caress the happy bird.

"Indeed I did, my boy." Dumbledore replied, leaning back in his chair and steepening his fingertips together. He paused momentarily and took on the air of a elder statesman about to deliver a very important opinion. "I must say I was surprised to learn you spent time with Sirius this summer."

"Surprised I spent time with him or surprised Sirius stayed rather than running away?" Harry's tone turned cold and his eyes hardened. He wondered where the talk was going.

"Both." Was the calm reply. "He is, after all, a fugitive."

"Falsely." Harry snapped, catching Dumbledore's gaze. Fawkes trilled softly as if to ease the anger that was rising. "He was arrested, imprisoned without trial for betraying my family and killing Pettigrew. He's innocent of the first and anyone would forgive him for doing the second. Ergo he can't be a true fugitive."

"You've changed, Harry."

"Mister Potter or just Potter." Harry replied quickly. "You've helped me a lot, Professor, and I'm grateful. Yet experience tells me that there's always a reason behind what people do, especially when I notice I'm the only student you call by their first name."

"Mister Potter." Dumbledore sighed, ignoring everything else Harry had said. "I want to understand what's happened to you."

"Why?" Harry stirred restlessly, his agitation rising. "Why me?"

"Harry, I care for you. Sirius has spent a lot of years in Azkaban and it could have affected his mind."

Harry threw his head back and laughed, not noticing how the cruel sound reached deep into Dumbledore's bones to cause the elder wizard discomfort.

"Sirius is a lot saner than you might think." He said with no room for argument. "He's taught me what it means to be a Potter. He's helped me deal with life at the Dursleys and hopefully I've done the same for him with Azkaban. We were sentenced to the same time in hell, Headmaster."

"Surely it wasn't that bad..."

"No?" Harry roared, rising to his feet. Fawkes squawked and flew back to his perch to watch the argument with sad eyes. "For three years I've been sent back there. Ten years not knowing who the bloody hell I really was and then three summers stuck there in a place of living hell with people who wouldn't accept me as family unless you paid them a fortune. _Don't_ tell me it wasn't that bad."

"Harry..."

"Abused, Professor!" He snarled, his eyes darkening like a storm passing in front of the sun. He pressed his palms to the desk and leant over it, commandeering Dumbledore's personal space. Harry felt a brush against his Occlumency shields but his anger had fortified their defences. "Physically. Mentally. Abused. I was forced to cook the moment I could stand upright. I didn't know my own name until I went to school. Explain it to me. Tell me _why_!"

To Dumbledore's credit he turned his head, unable to meet Harry's angry gaze.

"It's necessary."

"Bullshit." Harry snapped, rearing away from the desk to storm towards the far window. His magic pulsed in the air to cause the items around the room to rattle in their place. "There is nothing that could justify the way I grew up."

"You know." A third voice spoke up. "This is precisely why I loathed being a teacher! No respect young man, not at all. Do not talk to your Headmaster like this, boy!"

Harry turned his head and the famous green eyes blazed with power and anger. He _hated_ being called boy.

"Phineas Nigellus Black." Harry spat out the name. "You dare sit in your frame and agree with my childhood? You dare agree to the torture of a Potter, a grand-child of Black?"

"Now wait a minute, my boy! Torture goes too far, Harry."

Dumbledore's words fell on deaf ears as neither the boy in question nor the painting of his ancestor were listening. The magic building inside the office was making a audible hum and the rattling grew louder with items threatening to topple to the floor. The Past and Future generations glared at each other until one was forced to give.

The connection between Houses Potter and Black stretched back further than the magic commanding Phineas' obedience to Hogwarts. When the portrait cringed in submission, the magic inside the frame snapped.

The wall cracked above and below the frame, a jagged scar reaching from wall to ceiling that caused the entire castle to shudder. The crack was a mark of shame that would last until the castle's very end.

" _Toujours pur et Toujours debout_ , Scion Potter." Phineas whimpered. "Forgive me."

Harry turned his furious gaze to the shaken Dumbledore. He didn't need to be a Legilimens to see the fear in the old man's eyes. The fear that he was turning dark. Harry ignored it, instead taking measured steps closer until he could place his fingertips on the desk. He leant close and whispered, the harsh words all the worse for their low tone.

"I, Harry James Potter, last Scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, was left defenceless in a place that looked to beat the 'freakish out of' me. No one from this world came to check on me. Not. One. Person."

Harry's voiced dripped with the venom.

"And if I find myself entered in this Morgana forsaken tournament against my will, it will be you and your protections that I'll blame. Good. Day. Headmaster."

Harry stormed out of the office before his magic, straining at the limits of his control, broke free and destroyed the room. He left behind a tired and confused Dumbledore. The accusatory trilling of Fawkes served to compound the wizard's sense of guilt and the Sorting Hat's comment only made things worse.

"A truer Potter was never born."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

By the time Harry got to Transfiguration class he had regained most of his emotional control. There was still a hard, unforgiving look to his eyes that kept people away and his friends making only the lightest of comments.

It wasn't until Double Potions that Harry managed to pull himself free of his inner storm and was able to interact with others again.

He and Hermione had got to the classroom early and Harry was discussing his Arithmancy exam. He was nervous about telling her what Professor Vector had said about his answer and how close he had come to beating her marks. Much to his relief she responded with pure joy. Who knew that Hermione enjoyed being pushed by other students?

They were deep in a friendly debate over his use of the Chaldean method when Neville and Natalia arrived. Harry was in the midst of wondering if he could bring himself to part with his mother's potions journal, or if he would be better of teaching Neville when his thoughts were derailed by the approaching Slytherins.

"Zabini." Harry nodded to the tall, dark-skinned boy. "I've come to understand our families have done business in the past. Once I reach my maturity, I'll be interested in revisiting such arrangements."

The Slytherins were stunned. In Harry's three and a bit years he had barely crossed words with any of them and now he was speaking about business. The moment cemented their understanding of how much had changed with the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

"I'll let my mother know." The cool reply came after a moment of judging Harry's worth.

"Not afraid to get your hands dirty with a slimy snake, Potter?" The low voice of Theodore Nott asked.

"Not in the slightest." Harry shrugged. "I judge the person not their House, Nott. And speaking of."

Harry's eyes hardened as Draco pranced down the corridor with Pansy Parkinson on his arm and flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"I see you're here with your Mudbloods and squib, Potter." Malfoy sneered. "Where's the Weasel?"

"As predictable as ever, Draco." Harry sighed, thinking of Narcissa's eventual pain. It seemed some dogs couldn't learn new tricks. "Tell me, has your brain got enough room for independent thought or are you so brainwashed by daddy-dearest that you wouldn't know an idea if you tripped over it?"

Everyone stared at Harry. They'd expected the old habit of an angry tirade of slurs, not the calm Slytherin put-down he gave. Harry mentally rolled his eyes at their reactions.

"Watch what you say, Scar-head." Draco snapped, stepping closer. Cold grey eyes flashing with hatred. "You'll be getting yours."

"No." Harry said, pushing away from the wall. His voice turning icy and everyone felt his magic stirring. "You will if you don't learn anything Malfoy."

"Class inside. Now."

The unmistakable drawl of Snape came from behind and Harry turned away from Draco, dismissing the spluttering boy, and entered the room ahead of the rest. The Professor's dark gaze watched them all but he remained quiet with not even points being deducted for the argument.

And then Ron came stumbling through the door just as the lesson had begun.

"Weasley!" Snape snapped. "Is there a good reason for your tardiness? No? That's what I thought. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Ron grumbled the entire way to his chair and dropped unceremoniously into it.

"Stupid dungeon bat."

"Thirty points from Gryffindor. Disrupt this lesson again and I'll place you in detention, Weasley.

"Now, this year we will be focusing on antidotes." Snape looked at each of them. "And since most of you dunderheads need encouragement, I may have you testing your lack-lustre concoctions at the end. Today will be an individual assignment to judge exactly how incompetent some of you are. Instructions are on the board, begin."

All except for Harry made their way to the ingredients cupboard. He instead took time to carefully copy the instructions down. The one thing his mother's journal had installed in him was that preparation was even more important for potion-making than it was for cooking. When dealing with fumes that could fill a classroom, it meant having a nearby and legible copy of the steps at hand was as critical as the ingredients themselves.

Snape watched the child of his hated enemy and felt a chill race down his spine. Harry's little speech and apology had disturbed him. He initially wanted to sneer at the fake apology, laugh in the boy's face for passing on the mutt's message, yet he found his tongue held. It was the look in the boy's eyes. The same intense look those same green eyes would take on when Lily apologised.

Now, to make his inner turmoil worse, the brat was using his mother's pre-brewing ritual.

Snape knew Lily had kept detailed journals of all her work, school or otherwise, and it was obvious the boy had gotten his hands on at least one. It was also obvious the brat had done more than read it, he'd actually taken the time to _learn_ from it. For Severus Snape, the rest of the class fell away, his entire focus remained on the Harry as the boy cast a too familiar shield charm on the cauldron.

Snape stalked between the tables when Harry left his desk to get the ingredients. His heart sank at the sight of the spell Lily had developed. It allowed the caster to do anything to the cauldron while letting nothing through that had come from anyone else.

Snape watched Harry move back to the table and for the first time in over three years, he only saw Lily's son.

The class continued in silence and Snape was pulled from his dark musings when Longbottom's foul concoction caused the cauldron to melt, sending whatever vile mixture the useless boy had created pouring onto the workbench and splattering his arm.

"Weasley, Columbus. Get Longbottom to Madam Pomfrey before those boils get any larger and exploded everywhere. The rest of you, you have ten minutes."

Harry finished the Doxy antidote in time. He bottled the pale liquid - _a little too much lacewing flies_ he thought - and took it to the front. He easily sidestepped Malfoy's attempted trip him up and got a raised eyebrow when he passed the tube over to Snape.

"Potter, stay behind."

Harry simply nodded and went back to his table to clean up. He shook his head at Hermione's worried look and waited for the class to empty. Once alone the two adversaries stared at each other.

"I don't hate you, sir." Harry said before Snape had a chance to speak. "You're not one of my favourite people in the world but I don't hate you."

"And why should I care about your feelings for me, Potter?" The sneer was in fall force even if their was a hint of surprise in the onyx eyes.

"You shouldn't." Harry shrugged, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned on the edge of his desk. "I wanted to say it."

"Like you wanted to apologise for the mutt?"

"No, sir." Harry shook his head. "That was about all three of them. Remus for not controlling them and..."

"I'm aware of what happened back then, Potter." The Professor snapped. "It isn't something I want spoken about."

Harry looked at the man who had been the bane of his existence at the school. He nodded and took off his glasses, folding and putting them carefully on the table. The strength of his gaze told Snape that the eye-wear wasn't quite as needed as it had used to be.

Snape couldn't help his stomach twisting at the sight of those green eyes without any obstruction. Images of Lily with that exact look threatened to overwhelm him and he clenched a hand tightly, digging nails hard into his skin.

"I'm not like the rest of the students, Professor." Harry told him, ignoring the scoff that came as a reply. "My history keeps that from being possible. But between you and me, I'd like to forge a future off my own back rather than the whole Boy-Who-Lived bollocks."

 _It shouldn't matter what your blood status is, Sev. Your Family situation or financial background, all that should matter is what you do. Muggles have been fighting for that chance for centuries and wizards should too._

"I'm not the Boy-Who-Lived, Professor." Harry's voice cut through the memory. "I'm the Boy-Who-Lost-His-Family."

"Get out of here, Potter." The feared Professor snarled, the nightmares pushing at his considerable Occlumency ability while the boy's words twisted his guts until he felt physically ill. "All I hear are words with very little proof."

Harry put his glasses back on and threw his bag over his shoulder. Taking a last look at Snape, he gave a parting comment.

"You'll get your proof."

Harry left Snape lost in his own thoughts, and wasn't surprised to find Hermione waiting for him.

"Let's go see Neville." He told her. "I think it's time I started a small Potions club."

"A what?" She squeaked.

"Yeah, a Potions club." He grinned, eyes shining with humour. "It'll be fun."

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oOoOo


	9. Imperio

**AN: Well here it is, the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. To** **ProudlyANoob, TheHollowClown, mmichelle97219 and all those who are desperate for Harry's sex-change:**

 **Cannon Harry has no real concept of family or self-worth. Throw in how bad things get year 4 onwards and he would almost jump at a chance to become someone new. Instead this story has** **Harry developing a new sense of self, of family and new friends first. It's a build up to make him really think over who and what he is. A Harry after losing Sirius could almost welcome the change of identity, while a Harry who feels he has found himself would struggle with the choice.**

 **I've added a warning at the start of Chapter 1 about this. All that being said, you're a handful of chapters away from the reveal.**

 **desireejones99 - Interesting explanation on time-turners. Not sure I'd use _that_ level of toll by them in any of my stories but thanks.**

 **Caraline Fisher - I think Ron's problem is the obvious one. He's the last boy and feels that he gets everything left by his better brothers. My issue with him is that from the get-go he latches onto Harry's fame (It's Ron who sets up the Wizard's Duel against Draco in year 1 after all) but still can't handle not getting everything he wants.**

* * *

Imperio

 _4th September, 1994._

Neville had been forced to spend the night under the tender mercies of Madam Pomfrey and was shocked at Harry's idea of teaching him Potions. The notoriously accident-prone boy panicked so badly at the idea of messing up that the matron almost kicked the visiting friends out of the Wing. Harry refused to listen, which was how three of them found themselves in the kitchen that Saturday afternoon.

Ron wasn't interested in doing anything Potions, or really anything class related, and Hermione refused to go near the mass of house-elves until she had finished her research.

Harry stood at the table with a collection of knives around him, a very nervous Neville was on the other side while Natalia sat between them with an amused expression.

"It's very simply, Nev." Harry told his friend, twirling a thin knife through his fingers as he lectured. "It's all about preparing, mixing, and matching ingredients. Your trouble is you get so flustered by Snape that you don't focus on what you're doing."

"I wish _you'd_ focus on what you're doing!" Neville cried out.

"What, this?" Harry flashed a grin and tossed the knife in the air only to catch it handle first. "Watch."

To the surprise of both humans and elves, Harry swiped a nearby cucumber and proceeded to chop it into thin slices at a heart-stopping speed. Neville watched and couldn't stop imagining Harry's fingers flying off in different directions.

"If I can get you to know how to slice, dice and squish then that's half our battle won. You make it so that the preparation is automatic and you don't need to be afraid of Snape. I bet this is where half your accidents come from."

"You're good with that thing, Harry." Tonks said in awe. "How'd you learn?"

"I've been cooking for years." He explained, shrugging. "Then over the summer I learned what else I could use a knife for."

Tonks leaned back as Harry refocused on Neville to explain the reality of using a knife. The Blacks were notoriously talented at handling weapons and it seemed Harry had inherited the trait.

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oOoOo

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 _8th September, 1994_

It ended up being their routine over the next few days. Harry would take Neville and Natalia out for their morning run, they would help each other with homework, and whenever Harry could he would drag Neville to the kitchen for knife practice.

Harry knew it was selfish of him but he kept the Room of Requirement from his friends. It was somewhere he could disappear off to if he needed some time alone and it wasn't as if he was never going to share it with the others. Eventually. He just didn't want to do it so soon.

There had been no further interactions with Dumbledore and no word had come back to Harry about what he'd done to the office. Sirius had promised to sneak back into the Shrieking Shack the second weekend of school and, by that Wednesday, Harry was on edge to see his godfather again.

The friends were outside the DADA class waiting, the entire Gryffindor group excited over their first lesson with their new Professor.

"Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad." Ron was saying, completely unaware of Harry's lack of enjoyment at the idea. "And bounced him all around his dungeon..."

"Come on," Harry said, interrupting the red-head's vocal daydream. "Let's get some seats."

Harry led the group into the class and claimed the seats at the front of the room. The rest of the students trickled in and everyone was seated when Moody made his appearance, taking yet another swig from his hip flask.

Harry watched the teacher drinking and something about the scene nagged at him. A tickle of a memory he couldn't place and refused to reveal itself demanded attention and even with his meditations he had yet to find it.

"Right then." Moody begun in his gruff, no nonsense tone. "According to Professor Lupin you've done well in understanding Dark Creatures. I'm not going to go over old information, instead I'm here to teach you curses. I've got a year to teach you as much about what one wizard can do to another as I can."

"You aren't staying?" Ron cried out, disappointment filling his voice. Harry wondered if they would ever have a DADA teacher stick around. He highly doubted it.

"Weasley, aren't ya?" Moody's magical eye zoomed in on Ron. "Good man, your father. Got me out of a tight spot last week. Yeah, I'm only here as a special favour to Dumbledore. One year only.

"So we're going to push you hard this year. Starting with you telling me which curses are the most heavily punished by Wizarding law. Well?"

Hands rose and Moody indicated for Ron's answer. Harry had a sinking feeling he knew where the lesson was going.

"My dad told me one." Ron timidly said. "Imperius, maybe?"

"Aye, that's one." Moody nodded with enthusiasm. "Your father would know about it too, it gave the Ministry a lot of trouble during the war."

Moody pulled out three large glass jars, each containing its own spider and Ron edged back in his seat, far away from the arachnids as he could. The class watched as he opened the first jar, reaching in to pull out the creature and then pointed his wand.

" _Imperio!_ "

Most of the students laughed at the sight of a spider dancing and bouncing across the table. Harry could only watched and imagined himself under the control of such a spell. The shiver he felt had nothing to do with the cold of the castle.

"You think that's funny, do you?" Moody growled, shutting the class up. "What if I did it to you, would you laugh then? Total control. I could make it do anything I wanted, even kill itself. I could make it throw itself out the window, drown itself, throw itself down your throats..."

The grizzled man stared at them, the seriousness of the situation sinking deep in the students' minds.

"Years back there was a lot of witches and wizards being controlled. Almost no telling who was being forced against their will." He paused to catch the spinning spider and toss it back into its jar. "The Imperius can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but not everyone's got what it takes. So best not to be under it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

The class jumped at the shouted words.

"Anyone know of another?"

To Harry's surprise, it was Neville's arm that rose. When Harry looked at his friend he saw the same deep, dark pain that had crept into them when they'd talked about protecting themselves.

"There's one...the Cruciatus Curse." Neville's voice was soft but strong.

"Longbottom?" Moody inquired but said nothing more at Neville's nod. The Professor took out the second spider and enlarged it with an _engorgio_. Ron's chair made a scraping sound as it was pushed away from the table in fear of the arachnid.

Harry split his focus between Moody raising his wand and Neville, positive there was something there he was missing. When the single word _Crucio_ was spoken, Neville's hands clenched tight and his eyes filled with horror. Harry's attention snapped to the spider and he watched it twitched nightmarishly.

The creature desperately tried to curl inside itself to escape the pain from the curse and Harry could almost imagine hearing it scream.

"Stop it!" Hermione demanded. She too was unable to look away from the distraught Neville.

Harry was sure he saw something in Moody's normal eye and, for a moment, thought the Professor would continue the demonstration. The moment passed and Moody stopped the terrible curse, shrinking the twitching creature and dumping it in its jar without an ounce of care.

"Pain." The shocked students were told. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. A very popular one, that. Right, who knows of another?"

This was the one.

Harry had confessed to Sirius what the Dementors had made him remember. Their tears had flowed and the name of the terrible curse had been spoken, putting reality to the nightmares of Harry's life. Hermione's arm shakily rose and Harry whispered the answer along with her. No one noticed that his pronunciation had a slight accent to it to fit in the true way of casting.

"Avada Kedavra."

"The last and the worst." Moody gave a slight, twisted smile. "Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse."

Harry felt that time had slowed down and fragmented. What happened next came to him in jerky flashes.

Moody's hand reached into the jar. The spider frantically tried to flee the approaching hand. It being placed on the desk. A last ditch attempt to run and then the dreaded words. The feared green light hidden in his mind.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ "

"Not nice." Moody said smoothly as though commenting on the weather. "No counter-curse. No blocking it. Only one person is known to have survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."

The class as one turned to look at Harry who stared straight at Moody, his blank mask firmly in place. Moody went on to talk about the sheer power the curse required to be cast. Harry only partly listened.

Deep inside a resolve solidified into an unbreakable force of will. No matter what, regardless of situation or circumstance, Harry refused to use those two words. In that moment, he turned his back on the spell that gave so many a feeling of control over life and death.

The rest of the class passed in a haze of notes and when it was over Harry rushed out of the room in order to catch Neville. Harry's fingers gripped tightly around his friend's wrist as the other boy hurried down the corridor.

"Neville..." Harry started, unsure what to say. He had recognised the look he had seen on Neville even if he didn't know the details. He imagined it was the same look he had fought to keep off his own.

"Not yet." The quiet boy whispered, his eyes pleading for understanding from perhaps the one person who could. "Later, Harry. Maybe."

Harry released his friend and nodded. They each had their nightmares and Harry knew the truth of being a true friend was being able to let some things go. Both boys turned when they heard the clunking of Moody's leg approaching.

"It's all right sonny." Moody told Neville. "Come to my office and we'll have some tea."

Neville started blankly at the Professor who used the silence to turn to Harry.

"You all right, are you, Potter?"

"Yes." Harry answered coolly. The memories still battered at his mind and it was only his Occlumency training that held them back.

"No point in pretending. You have to know." Moody explained, turning back to Neville. "Come on son, I've got a book for you."

Moody lead Neville off to leave the four friends alone.

"What do you think that's about?" Ron asked and none of them felt like replying.

"Some lesson though, eh?" The redhead continued, excitement entering his voice. "Fred and George were right, Moody really knows his stuff. When he did Avada Kedavra and made that spider just snuff it. Bloody amazing..."

Harry's control had been thin and only focusing on Neville had helped keep a tenuous grip on his emotions. With the other boy gone he snapped at the insensitive words. He took hold of Ron's robes and pushed his friend into the wall, pushing his face close into Ron's. The other boy went to complain but was cut off by Harry's low growl. Only then did the youngest male Weasley realise his mistake.

"Not another word." Harry commanded, cutting off the stuttered attempts to apologise. "Leave. Now."

Harry practically threw Ron down the corridor and Ron stumbled into a frantic walk. The boy looked both contrite and angry as he stormed away. Hermione watched Ron go in shock at the insensitivity and placed a soothing hand on Harry's arm.

"Harry, I can't believe..."

"I know." He interrupted. "You girls go to dinner. I need to do something."

"Harry?"

"Are you sure?" Tonks asked, concern etched deep around her eyes. She wasn't going to argue, not yet.

He nodded and walked away without a glance back. Those he passed in the hallway moved quickly aside after a single look at his face.

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oOoOo

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There was only one place Harry had in mind when he left his friends. He took every shortcut he knew, the long nights of studying the Map giving him the ability to travel the castle better than almost anyone.

Harry didn't pay attention to what he asked the Room for and was taken aback when the door opened. The first half of the room was a study area painted in silver and green, dominated by a large desk. The desk was bare except for a small, obviously sharp, letter-opener. The other side was an open space, coloured in red and brown with three practice dummies lined up waiting for attention.

Harry glared at the ceiling even though he couldn't deny the obvious symbolism. He moved quickly to the desk, pulled the _Book_ out and placed it on the desk. He started down at the opening page.

"Wish I knew some healing spells." He muttered, remembering the deep slash that had been needed to get to the _Book_ in the first place. As soon as the words were said, a new book appeared on the desk with its pages already opened. Harry looked at the entry and laughed as he read:

 _Episkey: An Auror's best friend. It's no nonsense use in the battlefield comes from its lack of wand movement, allowing even the most frantic of Aurors to heal themselves until able to find a medi-wizard._

Harry shook his head in wonder and uttered a "thank you" to Hogwarts. He picked up the silver letter-opener and swore he could feel a sense of eagerness coming from the Potter tome. Thoughts of Riddle's diary threatened to hold Harry back only for them to be drowned out by the vision of Neville's raw pain. Overlapping everything were the memories he had of that terrible night.

"Never again." He vowed. "No more. Never again."

Harry wrapped his left hand around the blade and pulled, hissing sharply as the knife cut deep. He slammed the wound hard onto the hungry page and wasn't surprised when the _Book_ seemed to soak up the crimson fluid rather than let it flow everywhere.

Harry felt his magic rise up and respond to the call that was coming from the _Book_ , the sensation very much like two sounds moving into perfect harmony with each other. It built rapidly until Harry felt as if he was about to burst apart and then it sharply cut off to leave him gasping as if he'd had one of his runs.

Harry realised he still held the letter-opener and quickly dropped it, pulling his hand away from the _Book_ with a wince. The skin felt as if it was being peeled off the parchment and he turned his hand to see the damage. The cut seemed to have stopped bleeding but it was still raw and stung from contact with the air. He quickly pulled out his holy wand.

" _Episkey._ "

The cut tingled at the edges and then, much to his relief, closed. Harry was left with a jagged, slightly scabbed scar that looked more animal made than man.

"Not bad for a first time effort." He shrugged. " _Tergeo._ "

The cleaning spell removed the blood stains to leave him with nothing more than a stinging palm.

"Stupid Gryffindor." Harry admonished himself, knowing how foolhardy his spur-of-the-moment decisions still were. He turned his attention back to the _Book_ and found it completely free of blood.

It was with trepidation that Harry turned the page. He saw words swimming over the pale vellum, criss-crossing each other in a distinctly metallic red colour. Suddenly they snapped into place to reveal the hidden text.

 _I have spent my life walking through the shadows. As my power has grown, so too has my desire to understand. What is Good and Evil? Dark and Light?_

 _You, descendent, out of all of those who have blooded my Book are the closest to what I had hoped for. Not even the Brothers Three had blood so routed in the Shadow Grounds as yours._

 _Balance, descendent. Balance is the key to it all. Out of all those who I knew delved into the Darkest of magics, only I came out the other side. How? By wishing to learn without wishing to use._

Harry paused his reading, vividly reminded of a time so long ago when he laid in the hospital wing.

"Only one who wanted to find the Stone." He remembered. "Find it, but not use it, would be able to get it."

 _That it the tragedy and triumph of our world. Wizards or Muggles, it matters not. For it is those who seek to use power, regardless of their blood, that change history. Descendent, you must understand that Power, used selfishly or when it's believed to be for the Greater Good, will corrupt all eventually. When taken to the extreme, the use of Power is no different whether it be in the name of the Light or Dark._

 _I have suckled at the teat of the greatest White Mages of my time and delved into the deepest horrors with the Dark Mages of horror stories. I tell you not to turn away from Power but warn you to ask why you want it._

 _You are of my Blood, you are of my spirit, and you must walk in the shadows. Learn all you must so that you might never use any of it. In doing so, you will never be brought low by those who are seduced and broken._

Harry stopped and closed the _Book_. The words of his ancestor echoed in his thoughts and forced him to look over his life, assessing not only his own choices but those around him. The _Book_ was shockingly accurate and its message clashed so violently against another he had heard.

"There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it?" He snarled at the speech. "We'll see about that, Riddle."

Harry turned and stared at the training dummies, wand held tightly in his grasp. It fizzed with raw magic at his swirling emotions. Harry's Killing Curse eyes narrowed as another memory surfaced.

 _ **Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.**_

"A tap turns into a slap turns into a punch." He mused and then raised his wand to the nearest dummy. He focused on what he wanted, replaying the scene of the fraud's flying state again and again, and then released his magic.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Harry roared and the beam of magic hit the dummy, sending it flying back and to the side.

He'd missed dead centre. Not good enough.

Harry worked himself hard. He sent one _expelliarmus_ after another at the dummies and as fast as he sent them flying, the Room's magic brought them back to their starting point. He tried shouting the spell, whispering it, pulling awkward and sometimes painful movements as he cast. He worked himself up into a frenzy and then down into near magical exhaustion.

By the time Harry dragged himself away from the room he was able to hit the dummies dead centre more often than not, and had begun to learn the art of regulating his spell power.

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oOoOo

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Harry barely managed to get himself to Gryffindor Tower. He hadn't felt so physically exhausted since the early days of his summer training. This encouraged him and he knew he would be repeating the exercise as often as possible.

He nodded to Natalia, who gave him a worried look at his haggard appearance, and dragged himself to the dorm. Harry found Neville stretched, reading a book and looking much better than when they had spoken outside DADA.

"You okay, Nev?" Harry asked, dropping his bag on his bed and collapsing next to it.

"Oh, yes." Neville replied enthusiastically, a much changed boy from earlier. "I'm reading this book Professor Moody lent me."

 _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean._ Harry smiled at his friend's obvious love of the subject.

"Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology. He thought I'd like this."

Harry nodded. It was a good way for Moody to perk the other boy up. Neville was rarely told he was good at anything, something Harry had been trying his best to change in his Potions-prep teachings.

Ron entered the dorm and looked sheepishly at the duo.

"Err..Harry." He carefully said, head down to avoid looking Harry in the eyes. "I don't suppose you could help with Trelawney's homework?"

Harry thought about saying no, he really did, but his exhaustion was as emotional as it was physical and he couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"Yeah, Ron." Harry gave a weak smile and sighed. "I don't mind at all."

Ron gave him a huge smile of thanks and ran back to the common room. Harry and Neville shared a look and roll of the eyes before Harry painfully rose. He paused at the doorway and looked back at Neville.

"Nev..." Harry said softly, his throat tight at what he was about to do. "The Dementors. They make me relive that night. Light, sound, everything."

Neville paled and Harry pushed forward before he completely destroyed his friend's good mood.

"I'm learning how to take control of the memory but it's hard..." His voice trailed off. "Anyway, enjoy the book."

Ron had managed to find a table and Harry joined him. There was still an air of stiffness between the two but the tiredness kept Harry from being too sharp and gradually the mood shifted as they struggled with star charts and symbols. Harry was never more happy to have dropped the subject than in that hour.

"What are you two up to?" Natalia asked, dropping into the seat next to Harry.

"About to start on our old standby." Harry grinned, giving her a cheeky wink.

"Making it up?" Ron asked, head raising in a silent plea.

"Yep!"

What followed was the three enjoying themselves by thinking up the most horrible period of Ron's life. At least since the last time they had done Divination homework. They took their time and the common room emptied, allowing their laughter to grow louder as they came up with even more horrible things.

Harry caught Natalia watching him when she thought he wasn't looking, but he ignored the worried glances and did his best to hide his discomfort. The trio's creativity was derailed when a determined Hermione stormed through the portrait hole, carrying a small box.

She dropped down between Natalia and Ron and pulled the homework close, giving it a once over with her critical eye. Harry merely shrugged at her disappointed look when she finished the horror of Ron's month while Natalia quietly giggled at the reaction.

"I'm actually impressed." She said. "I'll be even more impressed if Professor Trewaleny doesn't work out you've made it all up. You're drowning twice."

Harry laughter cut off whatever Ron mumbled as he snatched the homework back. "She loves it, 'Mione. That's the whole point. The worse the better."

She gave him a dirty look but he simply smirked. Everyone knew what the barmy bat in her belfry was like.

"What's in the box?" He asked in a distraction attempt.

Hermione's look clearly told Harry she knew what he was doing even as she opened the lid to reveal a mound of multi-coloured buttons all bearing the letters S.P.A.C.E.

"Space?" Harry asked confused, picking up a badge to examine it. "What's this about?"

"S.P.A.C.E." She explained with inappropriate impatience. "It stands for Society for Protection Against Cruelty to Elves."

"Never heard of it." Ron grumbled.

"Well, of course you haven't." She explained in a voice dedicated for small, unruly children. "I've only just started it."

"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'space' do you?" Ron scoffed back.

"It's S.P.A.C.E!" She snapped and then dramatically turned so she was looking only at Harry and Natalia. "I listened to what you said, Harry, I promise. I couldn't get over why someone with your..."

Hermione paused sheepishly to glance at the other girl.

"What our great 'Mione is trying to say." Harry interpreted for the confused new girl. "Is that I haven't had the best home life."

Tonks gave him a sharp, piercing look that held more depth than it should. He matched it and lowered the mask he had worn most of his life. The pain of his Dursley life peaked out behind his emerald eyes and Natalia looked away with a hard swallow. She gave a jerky nod in understanding as she fought to keep her body from changing at what she had seen in his eyes.

"Yes, that." Hermione cringed and then pushed on. "I did a lot of thinking and I even interviewed Susan Bones. Since her aunt is part of the Ministry it could give me an idea of what things are really like."

She paused and took a deep breath.

"YouwererightIwaswrongandtryingtofreethemwouldhavebeentheworstideaI'deverhad."

Ron had taken a sip from his pumpkin juice when she started her long stream and ended up spewing it out all over his homework. The three looked at him with various looks of disgust.

"What?" He coughed, hand waving in the air in the general direction of the bushy-haired one as though to pass on the blame.

Natalia giggled knowingly and perched her chin on her open palm so she could face Hermione directly. Mischief burned in her eyes that Sirius would have been proud of. "Come on girl, let's here it properly."

Hermione gave Harry a pleading look that he returned with a grin and she sighed dramatically.

"Fine!" She relented, throwing her arms into the air. "You were right. I was wrong and trying to free them would have been the worst idea I've ever had."

Harry snatched Ron's homework planning and spun it around and, with a borrowed quill, he quickly scribbled down.

"Hermione admits she was wrong. The world doesn't end."

"Prat!" She screwed up a piece of parchment and threw it at him while the other two laughed, with Natalia falling off her chair as she lost balance.

"Tell us about S.P.A.C.E." Harry said once the second wave of laughter had settled down and the raven-headed girl was back in her seat.

"It's about raising awareness about their plight." Hermione explained, happy to be on firmer conversational ground. "There are _no_ laws helping them, Harry. The eventual aim here is making it illegal for an elf to be mistreated and giving them the right to leave a family if they wanted. Maybe have places like Hogwarts take them in until they found a new family."

Harry looked at the badge he held, thumb running over the letters, and he felt their eyes on him, waiting for his reaction.

"I'm in."

"What?" Ron cried out. "But Harry?"

"There's something like this in the Muggle world." Harry told them, his focus still on the badge. "Societies to stop abuse against animals. Children. Why not elves in the magical world?"

The heat dropped out of Ron's attitude as he remembered the state Harry had been in their first summer. He and the twins had found Harry weak, starved and locked inside his room with no way out. His shoulders sagged.

"I still think it's a terrible name." He grumbled, reaching for his own button.

"It could have been worse." Natalia joked as she took her own. The entire time Hermione was beaming at her best friend.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

That night Harry dreamed of pain and suffering.

It started with Harry standing on the same hill as he had during the wild massacre. The valley was still heavily stained with blood but he could see patches of green grass breaking through.

He felt a movement off to the side and turned to see an overly large wolf staring at him. The wolf had laurel green eyes and its muzzle was caked in dried blood. It had come through a war and wore its hard-worn victory proudly. Harry looked carefully at the magnificent animal and realised where he had seen it before.

"You're the one that took down the basilisk." To Harry's surprise the wolf dipped its head in acknowledgement. "Are you my Animagus form?"

The wolf growled and he quickly held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, not my animal." He quickly said in order to keep the wild canine calm. "I'll remember that. So, why are we here?"

The wolf stared at Harry and he felt a deep sense of sorrow radiating off the beast. It threw back its head and howled. The sound brought tears to Harry's eyes and through them he watched the wolf turn and run, fading into the air. It's mournful cry remained, a testament to whatever pain the creature had been through.

The world turned fuzzy and when Harry could see again he was standing in the kitchen of Number Four, Privet Drive. A little girl, no more than five or six, was struggling to cook breakfast when a younger Petunia stormed into the room.

"Hurry up with the food, you silly girl." She demanded, slapping the dark haired child hard around the head. "If you don't know how to cook, how could you ever trick a man into taking you in?"

Harry's fingers curled into tight fists, his rage boiling at the harsh words. There was a look on Petunia's face he had never seen, a rage and disgust that went deeper than any she had given him in his younger years.

And the scene changed.

Harry was forced to watched as the girl was lambasted and mocked, beaten and abused by his relatives. The years passed by agonisingly slow for the watching boy as she was put through things he had experienced. Each painful episode always held a little smite and a bit more pain than he had gone though. He never saw her face, only seeing the actions from behind the girl so that he focused on her growing dark curls.

Harry could feel her fear and pain. The emotions threatened to strangle him as the dream progressed and the girl aged. As bad as a life as Harry had experienced, it was nothing to watching what she was forced to go through. The added sexual comments as the girl aged, mixed with constant put-downs about being useless for a husband or any man, only made it worse for the protective teen.

"No." Harry growled, fighting his own mind. "No more. Never again."

He repeated the words. They became a mantra that drowned out everything else until the dream crumpled around him and Harry was back on the hill. Except this time he wasn't alone.

"There is only Power." The too familiar voice hissed. "Power and those too weak to take it."

The demon from his memories lifted up same wand he remembered and Harry found that he was frozen in place, unable to escape as he looked his death in the eyes.

"No!" Sirius shouted, stepping out from nowhere to stand between Harry and shade of Voldemort. "There is Family."

"Sirius...no..." Harry cried, struggling to break the paralysis that held him.

"Family, Pup. There is always Family." His godfather repeated without looking away from the serpentine man. Sirius stretched out his arms in offering to the deadly green light that Harry knew was coming. " _Toujours pur et Toujours debout._ "

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

 _._

 _._

oOoOo

.

.

 _9th September, 1994 – Insanely early._

"Sirius!"

"Harry!"

Harry opened his eyes to see Neville standing over him, concern written all over his face. The sound of familiar snoring filled the room.

"What.." He coughed and sat up, trying him best to quiet his racing heart. "What time is it?"

"Early. Half-four." Neville told him as he backed away, giving Harry space. "You were having a nightmare."

"Yeah..." Harry ran his fingers through his hair and then stood, pulling out his running outfit so that he wouldn't have to look at his friend. "I'll wait for you downstairs if you want to run with me."

Neville gingerly nodded and got his own clothes ready. By the time the two boys had reached the common room Harry's heart was finally back to its normal rhythm.

"When you woke." Neville mentioned carefully , ready to back out of the conversation at a moments notice. "You said a name."

"Not the name you'd expect, huh?"

"Not really." His friend replied. "I mean, it's..."

"The name of the man who sacrificed my parents on a madman's altar of blood supremacy?" Harry offered, his mental shields in tatters so that he wasn't watching his words.

"Something like that." Neville gave a sheepish shrug and dropped his eyes, his natural insecurities taking hold.

"He's sorry for getting you in trouble with the passwords last year." Harry told him and Neville's head shot up as his jaw dropped. "He convinced Crookshanks to steal them."

Harry gave a wry grin at Neville's shock. They didn't notice the soft steps of Tonks on the stairs.

"Let me tell you about four friends, Nev." Harry said. "Lupin, Black, Potter, Pettigrew."

"Professor Lupin?"

"Yep." Harry nodded.

"I heard that he's a..."

"Werewolf? Yeah. Didn't stop him being the best DADA teacher we've had so far though, right?"

Neville had to agree with Harry on that one.

"He was already one when he was a student here." Harry explained. "And each full moon all four would run wild in the Forbidden Forest."

"All of them?" Neville asked, confused.

"Lupin the wolf, Black the grim, Potter..." Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "Potter the stag, and Pettigrew the rat. Three friends who became Animagi for their brother so he wouldn't be alone during the worst times of his life. Sirius Black didn't betray my parents, Nev, Pettigrew did."

"Pettigrew? But they said that Sirius killed him."

"He tried." Harry replied with a sad sigh. "Bastard gave us up to Voldemort and then ran like the rat he is. Sirius hunted him down but something happened. Pettigrew hid and Sirius got blamed for everything."

"He spent all those years in Azkaban and he was innocent?" Neville couldn't imagine what the man had gone through and looked at Harry with fresh eyes. His friend had lost more than his parents that day.

"He's my godfather, did you know?" Neville shook his head. "Escaped from that hell-hole because he worked out this was where Pettigrew was hiding. Hiding in his Animagus form."

"Rat? Wait...he was Scabbers?" Neville looked scandalous and Harry couldn't help but grin a little.

"Yeah," Harry laughed a little at the absurdity of it all. "The whole Ron-Hermione war last year was Crookshanks trying to get at Pettigrew."

"What happened?"

"A balls-up of epic proportions." Harry looked down at his feet and fought to push away the memories. "Pettigrew escaped, shit happened, and I had to face off against a hundred Dementors who were after Sirius' soul. Then Fudge came in and tried to get him kissed anyway. Now he's on the run."

Both Neville and the eavesdropping Tonks were stunned at the story. From Tonks' perspective it made sense from what her mother had told her of the infamous Marauders. There was just one aspect of the story that she couldn't get past.

"How many Dementors?" Neville croaked. _Yep, that part_. She thought.

"A hundred. Professor Lupin had taught me the Patronus charm because they have such a bad effect on me." Harry looked Neville deep in the eyes and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "They make me remember. So I made sure I could fight them."

"No more, never again." Neville repeated. "You were saying it in your sleep."

"Exactly." Harry smiled. "Now, how about that run?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Natalia?"

"She's been listening on the stairs." Harry told him, grinning at the squeak of surprise that came from that area. "I heard her breathing."

Tonks eased her way sheepishly into the common room, her face red with embarrassment.

"Why did you let me listen?" She timidly asked.

"Because the world needs to know." Harry told them both. "Injustice survives when people don't speak out. Tyrants get stronger when people accept the pain rather than fight back."

Harry looked at Neville and for the first time Neville saw the boy who had faced those Dementors and come out the victor.

"It's why we improve ourselves. So no one else suffers."

"No more." Neville repeated.

"Never again." Tonks finished.

Harry smiled at them both and nodded. _No more. Never again._

.

.

oOoOo


	10. Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged

**AN: So an apology is in order. I was going over my notes for previous chapters and what was coming and realised how my short chapters has drawn the story out longer than needed. From now on they'll be longer and this means the real secret is soon to be revealed!**

 **shadowkat87 - Sorry about the confusing dream sequence. To sum it up; Harry watches a girl live the life he did at the Dursleys then Sirius and Voldemort re-enact Lily's death.**

 **animal lover13 - Harry suspects next chapter and it's confirmed the one after.**

* * *

Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged

 _I had a son. Ekrizdis. Not the name I gave him, I assure you._

 _What does it mean to be a parent, descendent? I raised Ekrizdis to follow in my footsteps and to my horror that is exactly what he did. He followed them into the very pits of the Dark and stayed there to bathe in the agonies of others._

 _He used the knowledge I gained to create creatures most foul. Rabid beasts of living shrouds that consume the bodies of his those he experimented on._

 _I faced him over the creation of such abominations and he laughed at me. He dared me to find a weakness in his "masterpieces" for none had yet been discovered. Forgive me, descendent, for I took on his challenge out of arrogance rather the desire to stop him._

 _He was my son and I wanted to save him._

 _I did what he wanted me to do. In my hubris I believed that, by showing him the Power of the Light, it would bring balance to his mind. I was wrong. My son used me as a way of "perfecting" his beasts. He took them and created something far worse._

 _These new beings were creatures of the Dark. They feasted upon the vibrant souls of the living and left nothing behind but empty husks._

 _Here is the truth, descendent. They are forever hungry because it is not the soul of just anyone their instincts truly desire. Nay, what they are desperate for is my soul. My blood. My very being._

 _My son created these demented wraiths as a way of slaying me and so I created a spell to slay them. I took my Patronum magic and augmented it to slay these foul beings._

 _I destroyed my son's army of shadows and pain, and locked him inside his self-made home. The prison will last as long as my son lives. I can only pray that by the time my magic fades, whatever foul things he does there has died with him._

 _For if not then I condemn the world, and my bloodlines, to the results of his madness._

 **[ Extract from the _Potter Book_ ]**

 _9th September, 1994 – Late Evening._

Harry took a hard look around the Shack. The building was rundown with claw marks criss-crossing the walls at every conceivable height and angle. He remembered the night he saw Professor Lupin transform and the agony in those kind eyes before the wolf took the man over. Harry felt as if he was standing in a monument to the Marauder's pain filled life.

"I know that look." Sirius said as he handed Harry an opened bottle of Butterbeer. "That's the look James got when he decided we'd become Animagi. He said it was inhumane for Family to leave its own to suffer alone like this."

"I agree." Harry replied before taking a long swig from the bottle. "Are you ever going to tell me why you're so mad at him?"

"It's something we have to work through, Pup. When you've been friends as long as he and I have, you tend to find times that you want to punch each other's lights out." Sirius shrugged as he took a drink from his own bottle. "It'll be fine."

"Will it, Padfoot?" Harry looked his godfather in the eye, almost desperate for an answer. "Does it always?"

"What's this about, Harry? You aren't asking about us old dogs."

"I don't know." Harry began to pace, his thoughts elsewhere. Sirius perched himself on the edge of the rickety table and watched, waiting. "I guess I feel like I'm gonna have to make a choice soon."

"Ron and Hermione."

"Yeah. No. Maybe."

"At least you're sure." The Marauder laughed.

"Hermione's okay. I derailed her elf crusade. That's a start, right?" Harry's question came out more a plea, his bright eyes tinted by the hint of tears.

"Maybe, Harry." Sirius sighed. "You know my thoughts. As grateful as I am towards her part in rescuing me, I don't think she's been good for you."

Harry nodded and pinched between his eyes. His glasses were in his robe pocket, unneeded and unwanted as it was only the two of them.

He knew what Sirius meant. It had been the cause of their biggest argument in the early days of the summer until Harry had learned enough to understand where his godfather was coming from.

"And Ron?"

"As blind and narrow-minded as always." Harry scoffed, washing down the nasty taste of his friend's attitudes with another pull from the bottle. "Puts his foot in it, gets annoyed when you get annoyed, and then barely does enough to say sorry."

"And you're still friends with him, why? You help him with his homework, why?"

A single tear rolled down Harry's cheek as he admitted the truth. The answer was as simple as it was complicated.

"He was my first friend."

Sirius gently put his drink aside and rose, moving quickly to pull Harry into a tight hug. The teenager, who had grown so much and yet was still so young, sobbed quietly. Sirius held him until Harry had regained his composure.

"But now I have Neville." Harry hiccuped, pulling away so he could drop onto the old sofa that took up one wall. "And even though it's still new, it's deeper. You know?"

"I hear you, Pup." Sirius gave a small smile. "It means it could last longer."

"And then there's Natalia."

"Yes. Yes, there's Natalia." Sirius chuckled wickedly and returned to his table. "I think this amazing room of yours is the best place for you to work and practice. It'll be the Survival School of Black; learn something here, work on it there, and we assess you before the next lesson. If you end up in this blasted tournament then we'll make sure you're the most capable one in it."

Harry nodded, liking the idea of being prepared much more than the 'let's jump in without looking' approach he'd used the last three years.

"And Pup, tell them about the room. You don't need to keep that a secret."

"Yeah, I guess." Harry grumbled. He leaned forward, resting elbows on knees, and gave a heavy sigh. "So, are we going to ignore the dream?"

"Don't worry about the dream." Sirius said in an attempt to wave off his concerns. "Focus on what's real and in front of you."

"Sirius, I saw you _die_!" Harry snapped, his eyes blazing with raw emotion. "I don't know what's going on about that girl, but I had to watch that bastard kill you. And you _let_ him, Padfoot. You. Let. Him."

"Harry." Sirius tried to explain while knowing there was so much he couldn't say. "I am your godfather. When you were born I swore to Morgana of the Dark herself that I would do everything in my power to keep you safe, to keep you away from _him_. I may have failed you before but I won't fail again."

"But who keeps _you_ safe?" Harry shouted, launching himself from the chair to get in his godfather's face. "Who stops him coming for you? I can't have you standing in his way too. I can't lose you like I did her."

Harry had fearfully confessed that it was Lily who he felt most connected to, whose loss cut the deepest. The Dementor induced memory made her far more real to Harry than James had ever been. Sirius had only shrugged and said it was natural.

"Listen to me, Harry." Padfoot demanded. He placed his palms on either side of Harry's face, holding the frightened boy still so they wouldn't break eye contact. "You are as much my child as you are James and Lily's. If I died protecting you then that would be an honour. But I promise you, Pup, I will do everything in my power to die old and disgracefully. I promise."

Once more the younger man fell into the embrace of the older, the tears coming heavier and the sobs far louder than before.

It was much later that an emotionally drained Harry left the Shack to get some rest and Sirius found himself staring up at the night sky through the dirty window.

"Master dogfather sir?" Dobby carefully spoke, not wanting to intrude. "Can yous be keeping the bad wizards from hurting Master Harry Potter?"

"There is something." Sirius eventually replied, looking down at the elf who had risked everything to save Harry. "Something that might help him. But he might never forgive me for it, Dobby."

"Oh please Master dogfather!" Dobby cried out, wrapping his arms around Sirius' leg. "Master Harry Potter sir would always loves his dogfather."

Sirius gave a wry smile while his eyes filled with loss and sadness. He gently stroked the elf's head and he turned back to the stars.

"If it gets worse..." Sirius swallowed hard and tried again. "If it gets worse, then I'll do it."

.

.

oOoOo

 _._

 _._

 _10th September, 1994_

It took a very deep, dreamless sleep, an exhausting run that had Neville questioning his sanity, and a couple of post-breakfast hours in the Room of Requirement sending dummies crashing into walls before Harry was able to regain his emotional equilibrium.

So it was a much calmer Harry who was ambushed by an irate Hermione. Natalia and Neville trailed behind the bushy-haired missile as she took hold of Harry's sleeve and pulled him into an unused classroom.

"Careful, 'Mione." Harry quipped. "People might talk."

"What?" She stared at him, his joke doing just enough to derail her train of thought that the other two were able to join them and close the door. "No! You're being secretive and sulky, Harry. What's going on?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend's question and then looked to the others.

"Don't ask me why I'm here." Neville pleaded, hands raised in immediate defeat. "I got high-jacked too."

"I'm here for the show." Natalia giggled. "Forgot the popcorn though."

There was a faint pop of elf magic and Dobby appeared, handing the shocked girl a tub of butter coated goodness before vanishing again. Harry's laugh filled the room.

"That..That was Dobby!" Hermione stuttered. "Harry James Potter, just what have you been up to?"

Harry's humour shut down fast. The cold, calculating look he gave Hermione sent a shiver through her spine. This wasn't the Harry she knew, that she had been friends with for years. Instead this was the Harry who had faced dangers and came out the other side. She wondered how she'd feel if she was ever had to face this Harry for real.

"What's your problem, Hermione?" He demanded to know. He crossed his arms, half out of frustration at the nerve of his friend and half to keep them still. He felt his anger rising and with it a growing need to destroy.

"You...you've been moody all day." She stuttered, completely thrown by his aggressive attitude. "And you keep disappearing. Going off on your own and no one can ever find you."

 _I can't find you_. He knew she meant. Harry's eyes narrowed. Neville and Natalia edged away from Hermione as though not wanting to get caught in the impending explosion. Though the sight of Natalia still munching on the popcorn was fighting to put a curve to Harry's lips.

"Come with me." He told them, deciding to take the situation to a better place. Harry's tone brokered no arguments and he stormed out of the room without looking back.

The three friends looked at each other, shrugged in unison, and rushed after him. Harry kept a fast pace and his closed off air kept them from speaking.

Tonks was curious as to what was going to happen. She wasn't keen on the controlling attitude Hermione looked to force on Harry and suspected it was a long-term thing that he was only beginning to rebel against.

Neville was impressed and awed by the strength he had caught in Harry's eyes. He was learning by observation, finally understanding that to be strong was to fight through his problems and not to never have any. Their bonds tightened every day the two boys shared a piece of themselves.

Hermione's lower lip was under assault from her teeth as she stressed over if this time was the final time. She knew she was pushy, knew she was controlling, and had fallen into the habit of letting herself go too far with both Harry and Ron. But this was a new Harry and she was scared that her habits were going to cost her his friendship.

Abandonment issues. That was Harry's problem and he knew it. When he found something of his own, something that mattered, Harry would hold on to it with everything in him. In some moments of his life he felt like a rabid beast fending off bigger, meaner animals that were after his last scrap of food.

He _had_ been that very thing in his time with the Dursleys.

Which was all well and good except when it came to his friends. Harry had spent the past three years holding onto his friendships with Hermione and Ron that he had lost focused on if they really were his friends in the first place. The redhead was showing his true colours, not that they'd been all that well hidden in the first place, and Harry had grown strong enough to not accept that attitude any longer. But as he had told Sirius, he was still unsure about Hermione.

Harry was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice he had arrived on the seventh floor corridor. The three students watched him staring at the blank wall.

"Harry?" It was of course Hermione who spoke first. "Why are we here?"

"Do you trust me?" Harry asked, finally facing them. "If I was doing something you didn't like, would you trust that I had a good enough reason?"

"I...I don't understand." She whimpered.

"I would, Harry." Neville interrupted, stepping forward. The firmness of his voice a long way from the timid stutter people were used to. "Unless you showed me otherwise, I'd trust that you had a good reason for it."

Harry nodded his thanks even as his Avada eyes held Hermione's brown ones. "You went to McGonagall about my broom, 'Mione..."

"This is about your _broom?_ " She screeched, going from confused to righteous in 0.6 seconds.

"No!" Harry's roared back, the sound echoing up and down the hallway. "This is about whether you'd go to them again! Bloody hell, Hermione, do you trust me? Can. I. Trust. _You_?"

"Of course I trust you!" She shouted back, tears forming. She struggled to regain her control. "I worry about you, Harry, I worry and I want to help."

"And if I made you worry enough, would you go to Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore's a good man." She stubbornly told him. The other two cringed and took a large step back. "He does his best and..."

"And told me to my face that my life with the Dursleys was necessary."

"Necessary?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing in anger. "What kind of addlepated, demented old codger thinks it's necessary for a child to be raised in that hell-hole?"

Harry burst out laughing and then had to quickly grab her wrist as she made to storm the Headmaster's office to give the wizard a piece of her mind.

"Is he still a good man?" He asked her when she gave him a scathing look at holding her back.

"I..."

"I know." Harry said softly, nodding in understanding. His heart broke at what he was doing to her. "That's my point. I need you to understand that you're not always right. No, listen. You're a brilliant witch, Hermione, but you're as fallible as all of us. I need you to tell me that you know there's more than simply black and white answers out there."

"Hermione." Neville moved closer to get the confused witch's attention. "Harry's right. Just because you're wrong doesn't change things. You're still brilliant, smart, and...and beautiful..."

Everyone stared at the quiet boy in their own mixture of stunned disbelief.

"I think what Harry's trying to say is just like I get caught up in my plants, you do the same with books and the rules and following what the teachers tell you. And sometimes...and sometimes there are more important things than any of it. For all of us..."

Hermione looked at Neville like she'd never see him before and asked the most important question of all. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

Neville stammered, blushing furiously as the reply stuck in his throat. Apparently that was all she needed as she broke free of Harry's grip and launched herself at him.

Harry had to admit that the hug was one of the most impressive he'd ever seen her give. He was also extremely happy to be seeing it rather than testing his ribs against the strong hold.

"Ain't young love grand." Natalia dramatically sighed.

The two laughed as Hermione and Neville jumped apart as though pulled by a spell.

"So, who wants to see a magic trick?" Harry asked them with a roguish grin.

"Not to burst your bubble, hot stuff." Natalia smirked. "But we're in a School of Magic. In case you'd forgotten and all."

"Oh, ha ha." He replied, taking the mature road by poking out his tongue at her. "Watch this."

Harry followed the now familiar routine of passing in front of the wall, mumbling below his breath so the others couldn't hear what he was asking for. All three gasped as the plain door materialised and Harry gave a Sirius smirk.

"Amazing, huh?" He laughed and led the way into what had become his private retreat.

Harry's room had grown over the week since he and the room had first created it. The desk remained in one corner of the Slytherin side, sans letter-opener, while in the other corner of the same half was a small potions lab. The middle portion of that side was now taken up by a low, round table, surrounded by comfortable chairs and even a couple of sofas that he had used to rest and even sleep on after a heavy session of practice.

The Gryffindor area had also enlarged. A duelling platform dominated the centre, though as of yet Harry had only used it to practice how to duck and dodge. On one side of that part of the room were his target dummies, spaced out to give him a wider arch of targets, while the other side had small practice lanes he had taken from seeing a shooting-range on TV once. The set-up allowed Harry to work on his precision or crowd spells, depending on his mood.

"Merlin." Three impressed voices gasped.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement." Harry beamed, arms out wide as he showed off his private area. "A place that can be anything you want, when you want it."

"It's a holodeck?" Hermione gapped at him.

"Ooh, that Riker is such a dish!" Tonks sighed. She was amazed at the room and could only imagine what her Auror instructors would have done with it.

"I prefer Picard myself." Hermione giggled back and the boys shared equally confused looks.

"Sorry, a whats-a-deck?" Neville asked.

"A holodeck." The brunette explained. "It's from a Muggle science fiction television show called Star Trek. Well, Star Trek: The Next Generation actually, since there was the Original series which is no where near as good nor impressive as..."

"What my excited chick-a-dee is trying to say." Natalia interrupted, causing Hermione to blush. "Is that it's a Muggle idea about a room that can be or make anything you want it to. Though you can't take anything out of it since it's only an illusion."

It was her turn be stared at by the boys and she sighed dramatically. "Whaaat?"

Harry could only grin and shake his head at the two girls. He walked over to one of the soft seats and dropping bonelessly into it, his relaxed air letting them see a new side to Harry.

"Well that sums this place up nicely." He answered, waving them to take seats of their own. "Some things are real though but I haven't worked out why. I think the Room pulls what it can from other places around the castle and makes up the rest."

"My popcorn!" Tonks squealed as soon as she sat down. She'd left it in the classroom in her desperation to chase after Harry.

The others stared at her and she blushed, only to then squeal again in delight when the forgotten box was elf-popped onto the table. Harry smiled at the thoughtfulness of his little friend.

"Err, Harry?" Neville spoke up nervously. "I don't mean anything by it but...the colours?"

"Slytherin and Gryffindor?" He asked, doing his best to ignore how Natalia was feasting on her popcorn the way a Niffler went after gold.

Neville's sheepish look was matched by Hermione's curious one. A series of more pops preceded plates of sandwiches and drinks appearing on the table.

"You remember how long my Sorting was, Nev?" Harry said, reaching for his Butterbeer. "That's because the Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."

Tonks was in the process of throwing her popcorn in the air and catching them in her mouth. At Harry's confession, she missed and the piece landed in her widened eye.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." She cried out, bouncing in the chair from the pain. Her focus lost, she slipped and crashed to the floor, no doubt bruising her cute bum from the hard landing.

The three laughed and Neville, ever the gentleman, helped her back on the chair.

"What happened?" She asked Harry, blinking wildly to ease her sore eye.

"Malfoy." He told them, taking a drink from his cold bottle. "And by then I'd already been conditioned by both Hagrid and Ron that only evil wizards went into the House of Snakes."

Tonks flinched and bit the side of her mouth, holding back her retort to that idiotic idea through sheer force of will. Andromeda had been a Slytherin and Tonks hated how that attitude painted her mum with the same brush as all the others.

"By the time I realised how wrong that was, it was too late." Harry stared off into the distance and mused. "I'm pretty sure the Hat wouldn't listen to my choice now if it had a second chance."

"You don't want to be resorted, do you?" Neville's voice was tinted with fear.

"No, Nev." Harry shook his head. "But that's because I have friends like you in my corner. Not because I have an issue with the Slytherins."

"Better a live Slytherin than a dead Gryffindor." Tonks repeated his words and Harry nodded, toasting her with his drink.

"Exactly." He solemnly told them. "Being the brash Gryffindor should have got me killed more than once. I've been in a lot of dangerous situations without a plan and my luck won't hold out forever."

"That's what this is about? The summer, the runs, those dummies?" Hermione's eyes narrowed as she put pieces together. "You think there's going to be a next time."

"I think, given my luck, that there's too big a chance I'll be entered in the tournament. And I think it doesn't matter because I've still got Riddle out there."

"Riddle?" Tonks and Neville frowned at the name.

Harry took out his wand and perform F _lagrate_ to write all-too familiar words in the air. _Tom Marvolo Riddle_ that, with a swish, rearranged themselves to read _I Am Lord Voldemort._

"Tom Riddle, Half-blood bastard who killed my parents."

"You-Know-Who is a _Half-blood_?" Tonks squeaked.

Harry nodded and gave the two the same overview of what happened in the Chamber as he had given Hermione. By the time the story was done they were both bone-white, staring in awe at the bite scar on his arm.

"Wait, what do you mean you've still got him out there?" Tonks whispered. Her palms became sweaty as the fear threatened to overwhelm the young metamorph. It was only her overwhelming need to stay undercover that kept her body from shifting though it was far too close a call.

Harry rubbed his forehead, his fingers immediately stroking over the famous lightning bolt scar. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with pain.

"Professor Quirrell was possessed by the spirit of Riddle our first year. That's why he died and yes, Nev, I know the school thinks he retired."

"You told me he ran off after being foiled stealing the Philosopher's Stone." Tonks turned on Hermione in accusation.

"That's the story we tell people if they find out about the Stone." She explain with a sheepish look. "No one wants to know about You-Know-Who's possible return."

" _I_ don't want to know about it!" Tonks snapped and turned back to Harry. "You said his spirit?"

Harry nodded and continued to rub his forehead.

"There's some type of connection between us. My scar hurts when we're close."

"That's why you kept rubbing it first year." Neville recalled, pointing at Harry's fingers.

"Over the summer..." Harry paused. He carefully put the bottle down and stood, walking away so he wouldn't have to see their faces. "Over the summer I had a dream, a vision really, Pettigrew was with Riddle and they were talking about some woman being dead. Bertha Jorkins. They talked about what she knew and some other things, then Riddle killed an old Muggle. Riddle had a body. Something small and disgusting, I don't remember what it was, but he had a body."

There was a hint of hysteria in Harry's voice by the time he was done. The weight of what he knew was coming, but couldn't prove, weighed heavy on his young shoulders.

His eyes were shut and he held himself tightly, waiting for the sound of the door to open as they left him. He heard the initial brush of material as someone stood and then a few moments later soft arms wrapped around him from behind.

"Thank you for trusting us." Natalia whispered against his shoulder. "Thank you."

Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. She returned the action and led him back to the chairs.

They were silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

"You're preparing yourself for war." Neville finally spoke up, looking around the room with new eyes. "That's why you keep saying never again. You're preparing yourself."

"And you." Harry agreed. "All of you if you want. Riddle is coming back, we saw at the World Cup that his followers are still willing and able to do what they used to. Eventually something is going to happen, it's only a matter of when and what."

They might have been the words of Sirius but they were true and Harry believed every one.

"What about Ron?" Hermione pointed out the large Hippogriff in the room. "Where does he fit into this, Harry?"

"What do you think Ron would do if I told him I could have been in Slytherin, 'Mione?" He shot back. "Or how he'd react seeing this room? Knowing I'm fine making friends with that House?"

"What's your plan?" Neville asked, his back straight with determination.

Harry looked at each other them. His gaze measured their souls and he found himself smiling at what he saw. It was a predatory smile that caused them to shiver, each for a different reason, and then Harry leant forward. Parchment and quill materialised from nowhere on the table and he began sketching out most of his plan.

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oOoOo

 **.**

 **.**

 _13th September, 1994._

The day found Harry relaxing against the wall of an unused third floor classroom. Classes were over and a mishmash of students had been brought together under the umbrella of the first S.P.A.C.E. Meeting.

Natalia had joked it was really to hear the Great Harry Potter speak rather than any real sense of love towards the magnificent little elves. Harry felt that this was a far too likely reason but kept his opinion, and discomfort, quiet. Instead he privately wondered if Natalia was having Dobby feed her popcorn addiction.

The two girls were making rounds, speaking to the small groups of the surprising turnout while Neville kept Harry company.

"She's done amazing." His close friend said softly, a little awe-struck. "Did you know she'd invited Professor Flitwick?"

"Hardly." Harry scoffed. "I didn't even think she'd get half this many to show up."

Ginny had brought her blonde friend Luna Lovegood, a small group of Slytherins were keeping to themselves which meant Ron was busy pouting in a corner with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Harry had vehemently shot down any loud complaints at seeing the green ties.

"So, going to ask her to Hogsmeade?"

"What? Who? Huh?" Neville eloquently replied, making Harry chuckle.

"You called her beautiful, Nev." He reminded his friend. "Pretty sure she took it well enough that she'd agree on going together."

Neville was saved from having to think up a response when the girl in question started the meeting.

"I want to thank you all for coming." Hermione's voice rose to cut through the chattering. "We're here to talk about S.P.A.C.E. and it's potential for being something beyond Hogwarts."

"Want to tell me why we should care?" The arrogant tone of Cormac McLaggen shouted from near the door.

Harry could tell the boy was in one of his moods and felt Neville stir angrily beside him. A quick glance at the crowd showed many thought the same, even if they didn't voice it, though Katie Bell's cute look of outrage was worth the extra linger.

"Want to tell me the difference between a small child and a house-elf?" Harry's voice cut off whatever Hermione was about to say.

He'd promised to speak so might as well start immediately.

"Well?" Harry demanded, pushing off from the wall to move into the centre of the room. Neville followed without hesitation and the watching students shifting to get a better look. Sirius' teachings, combined with Harry's natural leadership, had led him to instantly captivate the room.

"They're both small, eager to please, living, breathing, loving and vulnerable creatures. What makes it okay to abuse one and not the other? Or are you saying it's okay to abuse kids, McLaggen?"

The boy in question spluttered in an attempt to defend himself but Harry dismissed him with a flick of the eyes. That act and his verbal machinations, if not his message, gained approval from those from older Families.

"You want to know what this is really about?" He challenged the crowd, his magic slowly building with his words. "It's about protecting those who can't protect themselves. Nobody, _nobody_ , has the right to harm another because they feel like it. The weak and helpless are not there to be abused if you have a bad day. They are there to be helped, guided, and sometimes even treated as a member of the family.

"Whether you treat those beneath you as a friend." Harry's voice vibrated with a power that touched everyone there. "Or family. Or a faithful servant. What matters is treating them with respect, McLaggen. Because those who enjoy the pain of others aren't going to stop at house-elves. Eventually they lash out at someone else. And someone else. And someone else."

Harry turned to catch as many eyes as he could. The air was charged with his presence and his voice had taken on a dark, foreboding tone.

"And if you don't look after the weak, then by the time it's your turn to be verbally put down, physically attacked, or socially demonised...Well, there won't be anyone left to listen to your cries for help. _That_ is why you're here."

The heavy silence was shattered by an all encompassing applause. The enthusiast Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were led by the bouncing form of Professor Flitwick and even the more sedate Ravenclaws clapped. The Slytherins watched, assessed, but even a few of the Snakes showed looks of approval.

The meeting opened and closed with Harry's speech. Some of the students drifted away immediately while some stayed and chattered animatedly about what they had heard. Many come to Harry to shake his hand, to strike up potential alliances post-Hogwarts or simply rub flesh with the Boy-Who-Lived. He took it in his stride and his discomfort was eased at the sight of the small few who immediately went to Hermione in order to help turn S.P.A.C.E. into a reality.

"An excellent, straight from the heart, speech." The diminutive Charms Professor told Harry once the crowd around him had gone. "You weren't just talking about house-elves, were you?"

"Not really a surprise, is it, sir?"

"No, not at all." The Professor shook his head sadly. "You have the heart of a goblin, Mr. Potter."

Harry gave the Charms Master a searching look and then smiled, his eyes lighting up with happiness. "That's one of the nicest things anyone has said to me, Professor."

Flitwick nodded and then left. He had heard rumours from a cousin at Gringotts, rumours that had sounded fanciful. Now Flitwick wasn't so quick to dismiss them. Perhaps a letter to his cousin was in order.

"I think I actually understand why my Family has been so interested in politics." Harry mused aloud.

"That was impressive, Potter." A soft voice said and Harry turned to see a gaggle of girls moving closer. Susan Bones and her friend Hannah Abbott along with the Slytherins Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. The sight of Greengrass threatened to bring up the image of the girl from his dreams but Harry ruthlessly pushed it away. "Auntie's said that things aren't the same without the Potters being involved in the Wizengamot."

"Auntie?" Harry asked, wanting to make sure she meant Amelia. He gave all four his best wicked grin and bowed. "Ladies, it's a pleasure."

"And there he goes." Daphne Greengrass drawled dramatically. "Spoiling it with not knowing your aunt."

"Aunt Amelia." Susan explained, sending the blonde a look.

"I've heard of her." Harry told the Slytherin Ice Queen. "Perhaps I only wanted to hear you talk, Greengrass?"

The other girls giggled as Daphne gave him her best cold glare. Though there was a distinct curve at the corner of her lips.

"If there's one thing that has been proven in my time at Hogwarts." Harry continued. "It's to never assume. Even when everyone _knows_ something to be true they could still be incredibly wrong."

"About that..." Hannah began nervously, biting her lip, only for Susan to finish and save her friend the embarrassment.

"We, at least Hannah and I, wanted to apologise for the whole Heir of Slytherin thing."

"Don't look at us," Tracey scoffed when Harry glanced at the other two. "Slytherin treated you how we always have."

"Slimy snakes." Came the unmistakable snarl of Ron. Harry cocked his head to the side and glared at his one time friend.

"Take a walk, Ron. Now." He commanded, surprising the girls. Ron blushed wildly at being dismissed for the hated enemies and stormed out. Like good little followers Dean and Seamus followed.

"As for you ladies," Harry's loop-sided grin and sparkling eyes told the Slytherin girls he included them in what he said next. "Apology accepted and appreciated."

Daphne sniffed and turned her nose up but the small curve had blossomed into slight smirk of humour.

"See you around, Potter. Maybe you aren't what the rumours say." The Slytherin girls walked off to leave an amused Harry, a somewhat confused Neville and the snickering Hufflepuffs.

"Well." Harry said, clapping his hands enthusiastically as Hermione and Natalia joined them. "There's two of us boys here and and four of you beautiful girls. What _shall_ we do with ourselves?"

That evening the curious sight of Harry hobbling towards the Hospital Wing was seen. What was interesting was the painful, and private, areas he kept almost touching as he winced his way down the corridors.

 _If Susan has even half the spunk her aunt does, I can see why Sirius liked her._ He thought as he tried desperately not to scratch the insanely annoying itch.

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oOoOo

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.

Life became busy for the Hogwarts friends. Harry drove himself hard in his classes and with his extra-curricular activities. He pushed Hermione's position as number one for Arithmancy and Daphne's place in Ancient Runes while his other subjects all saw dramatic increases of grades.

The teachers were more impressed with his new attitude than they had been with his change in appearance. Snape had stopped automatically failing his work though that was as far as the Slytherin Head of House was willing to go.

It wasn't long after the first S.P.A.C.E meeting that Professor Flitwick took Harry under his wing. The unusual duo spent time together learning about each other and Harry eventually spoke of his solo training. The retired Duelling Master became a new source of information for Harry, giving him tips and anecdotes to improve every aspect of Harry's wand use.

Dumbledore watched Harry's development with growing concern and continuously spoke to his staff about every aspect of Scion Potter's school life. By the time October was coming to an end it had caused a widening split in the faculty between those who still believed in the famous wizard and those who had come to know the real Harry Potter. The more the Chief Warlock pushed, the more he lost control of those around him.

Nymphadora Tonks, in her Natalia persona, continued to match Harry's training and jotted everything down in her charmed diary. The book was a one way report for Madam Bones' eyes only and Tonks was growing more frantic for the arrival of the first Hogsmeade weekend. Some of the information she'd uncovered had the power to shake apart the political landscape and turn Wizarding Britain on its head. For the shiny new Auror, it was well above her pay grade and she needed a face-to-face sit down with her boss.

Hermione pushed for continual growth of S.P.A.C.E with Harry's contribution mostly over after the first meeting. She'd come to realise that the best attack was to build awareness and understanding until the concept broke free of Hogwarts and into the wider Wizarding consciousness. She would only sometimes join Harry, Neville and Natalia in their spell practice and never in their physical work.

Neville pushed himself as hard as Harry would allow, personal demons driving the boy to achievements greater than he would have believed of himself. Though his spells continued to misfire and come out weaker than most, his physical fitness improved dramatically and the female students were all taking notice. Harry's tutoring with potions, made better with the use of the Room of Requirement, meant that even in Neville's most hated class there were signs of change.

It was a coin toss between Snape and Neville over who was more surprised.

The friends continued to speak to others, crossing house borders without a care, and a regular study session involving all four houses was often seen in the library.

Ron continued to be pushed to the fringes. The more isolated he became, the more aggressive his distaste towards the changing tides grew.

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oOoOo

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.

 _26_ _th_ _October, 1994_

"Right you lot." Moody growl at the class, his magical eye scanning the seats for anyone not paying attention. "Today you get to experience the _Imperius_ first hand. You're going to learn why it's one of the most feared spells out there and see if you're good enough to beat it. Most can't. I doubt you lot could."

"But Professor." Hermione weakly spoke up as the retired Auror cleared the desks with a sweep of his wand. "You told us that using it against someone is illegal."

"Aye, lass, it is." Moody grinned, a disturbing sight, and then took a swig from his flask. Once again the sight niggled at Harry's mind. "Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. If you'd rather learn the hard way, when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely, fine by me. You're excused. Off you trot."

He pointed to the door and Hermione made a show of ignoring the insinuation that she wanted out of a class. The very idea was preposterous.

Moody called them up one at a time and each time the student was forced to do something embarrassing. To all but Harry's surprise Neville initially looked like he was able to fight against the compulsion. Harry could see faint tremors around his friend's eyes which faded as the spell's power was increased, forcing Neville to then do some impressive gymnastics.

"Not bad, Longbottom." Moody grumbled. "You knew it was happening, that's better than most."

Harry gave Neville a proud smile, his friend returned the gesture with a firm nod and walked to the back of the line with his back straight. When it was finally Harry's turn he moved to the centre of the class and waited.

A most wonderful feeling enveloped Harry at the moment he heard _Imperio_. The world faded away to be replaced by Moody's distant voice telling him to jump on the desk. Harry's knees were beginning to bend when a second sound echoed inside his mind.

Mrs. Figg, his old babysitter, had cats galore and Harry knew the sound an angry one made. This was almost a deep roar, as if the throat that made it was far larger than even her strange cats. The sound caught Harry's attention enough that he was able to question the command.

 _What am I doing?_ His slow thoughts asked. Again the voice told him to jump on the desk and for the second time the feline rumble had him stop and think.

 _Why? It's a stupid thing to do._

Harry shook his head, trying to clear out the conflicting urges. Moody's voice hit him harder than before and his body was reacting before his mind even processed the command. This sent Harry collapsing to the floor when his rebellious instincts fought back.

"Look at that! Potter fought it!" Moody crowed. "He fought it and damn near beat it."

Harry's hands stung and his knees screamed in pain from hitting the stone floor. For a brief second when he heard Moody's voice, he wanted to get up and attack the crazy old man. To rip and shred the Professor for daring to do that to him. The urge subsided and Harry pulled himself to his feet, hobbling back to the end of the line.

The class was the longest of Harry's Hogwarts life as he was put through the _Imperio_ more than the others. While Neville kept getting closer to freeing himself and Natalia frowned after her sessions, it seemed Moody was totally focused on pushing Harry until he could break the curse.

"Bloody nutter." Harry moaned. Natalia's arm was wrapped around his waist to help keep him upright as they walked the hallways. She nodded in agreement with a pensive look. She'd liked the class even less than Harry had.

There was only a small chance of Harry managing to get down for dinner. His kneecaps were swollen and stiff from the constant impacts and it was only his past experience of pain that kept Harry mobile.

The friends slipped into a classroom and, with Neville to keep him company, the two girls headed off to the kitchens with the promise of getting a picnic from the ever-helpful elves.

"Can I ask you something, Harry?" Neville sat opposite Harry with his elbows on knees, hands wringing nervously.

"Anything, Nev." Harry told his friend, wincing as he stretched out his battered legs.

"How do you cope with the memories?"

Harry's left leg froze mid-stretch. He took a deep breath and stared Neville in the eyes. "Tell me."

Neville looked away. Harry had taken him under his wing, shown Neville that there was more to himself than what Gran Longbottom had always told him. Harry had become an older brother to Neville, shared his own demons, and Neville knew it was time to return the gift.

"My dad was an Auror." The words slipped out, softly so Harry had to really listen to not miss anything. "A good one from what I've been told. Gran says it's a great honour to use his wand."

Harry's eyes suspiciously narrowed. He'd seen Ron's sub-par work when using Charlie's wand and the improved sub-par work when he got his own. A plan began to simmer at the back of Harry's mind.

"He and mum went into hiding after I was born. Didn't want to put a baby at risk, I guess." Neville gave Harry an apologetic look. "After what happened with...with you."

Harry nodded that he understood. That Halloween was a big turning point for a lot of people's lives.

"After that." Neville took a shaking breath. "Some of You-Know-Who's followers came after us. And they...they...they..."

" _Crucio_." Harry filled in for the stumbling boy, squeezing his eyes shut tight. He frantically reinforced his mental shields, pushing back the bright green light of his nightmares. He heard Neville continue as if from a far off place.

"Gran and I, we go to see them as often as we can." Neville said, so lost in his own nightmare he didn't notice Harry's reaction. "They don't know who I am. Mum...she gives me sweet wrappers. Gran says that it doesn't mean anything, but I can't stop thinking that a part of her is still in there. That's she's reaching out when she does it."

"Nev." Harry said firmly, trying to pull them both out of their inner turmoil. "You want to know how I handle it?"

Neville gave a jerky nod, his eyes wide and frantic for any crumb of aid.

"By remembering one thing. My parents chose to stand. They chose to fight. Not only for themselves but me. They loved me enough to face down a monster to give me a chance to live."

Harry sighed and tried getting comfortable. He hoped the girls would return soon or else he'd need to call on Dobby's help, this conversation was not one to do on an empty stomach.

"When I see mum standing in front of me, refusing to move aside, she did it because she loved me." His eyes filled with passion and power, both pouring into Neville as the other boy looked at him. "No one can take what did she away from her or me. And _no one_ can take away what your parents did to save you.

"Thank you, Harry." Neville looked upon his brother in all but blood with a sense of worship. He'd never considered it in that way before. "Thank you."

Harry nodded and then asked the key question.

"Did they catch who did it?"

Neville's eyes hardened with fury and he spat the names that were engraved into his very bones. "Bellatrix Lestrange. Rodolphus Lestrange. Rabastan Lestrange. Barty Crouch Jr. Azkaban for all."

Harry winced internally at the mention of the third Black Sister but kept the reaction off his face. Instead he nodded and they fell into a strangely comfortable silence until the girls got back.

.

.

oOoOo

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.

Why? Why had two families, each with a small boy, gone into hiding at the same time? Why had the Death Eaters gone after Neville's parents expecting them to know where their leader had gone? Why had that same madman come after _him_?

Why? Why? Why? Why?

The questions bounced around Harry's mind throughout the evening, leaving him unable to do any of his homework. His knees were better, a healing charm from each girl had him physically healed, but their care could not touch his emotional state. Harry was lucky he was ahead in his work and could take the evening off as he focused on the horrific puzzle.

Nothing helped fill in the gaps, nothing made sense yet Harry was sure the answer was important. The questions waged an unrelenting war inside him and Harry was forced to make his excuses to leave their work table. The others each gave him a concerned look but he waved them off, saying he had to see a teacher.

It was partly the truth.

As soon as Harry was free of Gryffindor Tower he took out the Marauder's Map. _A favour for a friend first, breakdown second._ He told himself.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

Harry's experienced eyes danced over the revealed interior of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was in his ivory tower, Snape seemed to be working on some new potion while Professors McGonagall and Flitwick looked to be in some type of meeting. _Or they're having an early nightcap._ He mused. The slight grin at the idea became a frown when he saw Moody had a visit from Crouch.

"Must be to do with the tournament." He guessed, the puzzle quickly forgotten as he found his target. "There you are."

Harry made his way through the school towards the kitchen. Once there he ignored the familiar painting of fruit and headed straight to the barrels at the end of the corridor. He double then triple checked the Map and sighed, putting the parchment away.

"Right, now what?" He groused, looking everywhere for some hint of how to get into the mysterious Hufflepuff quarters.

Five minutes later and Harry still hadn't found a clue. He was beginning to wonder if he could get away with using a _Confringo_ without completely alienating every Hufflepuff in existence.

"Is there a reason you're stalking my 'Puffs, Mister Potter?" The stern voice of Professor Sprout said from behind him.

Harry yelped in surprise and spun around, losing his footing in the process and tumbled to the ground. The squat Herbology Professor lost her cool and sniggered at Harry's two left feet.

"I have a monitoring charm to protect my 'Puffs." She told him, his confusion at her appearance easy to read. "Though I must say, Potter, you aren't the usual Gryffindor who tries to get inside."

"Actually, Professor, I was looking for you." Harry explained. He leaned on a barrel to regain his footing only to then get squirted with a blast of vinegar. "Ewww!"

"Follow me." She told him with a chuckle.

Harry was led into a small, cosy room along the same hallway. Given how many times he had walked the corridor and that he had never seen the door before, Harry highly suspected it was hidden from anyone not a Hufflepuff.

The room's walls were covered with painting of different types of plants while the bookshelves would have sent Neville into nirvana.

"Neville must love coming to see you, Professor." He said, taking the offered seat. She took out her wand and vanished the offending vinegar from his robes, though he did notice the smell still lingered.

"I'll admit Mister Longbottom has been here once or twice." She replied. She poured herself a cup of tea and Harry politely took the offered second. "Now why don't you tell me why you're out so late looking for me. We both know it's not for help with your Herbology."

"No ma'am." He admitted, savouring the interesting drink. Harry decided it was best not to think what strange plant she might have used to make it. "I love gardening but I'm too used to the Muggle variety. Herbs and flowers, sure, but plants that want to eat me? I'm afraid not. I'm actually here because of him."

"What's wrong with Neville?" She instantly demanded, not even realising she'd used such an informal address.

"I don't know if he's told you but I've been doing my best to help him with his potions." Harry explained. He carefully put the delicate cup and saucer on the desk. The concerned teacher nodded. "I found out today that he's using his father's wand. I think it's a poor match and that's why he's been struggling with everything except Herbology. It's not right for his magic."

Sprout watched Harry carefully. While the concern was a real one, there was still a question she needed an answer to.

"Professor McGonagall is your Head of House. I doubt she'd be too happy that you've come to me and not her."

"Probably not." Harry shrugged and leant back in his chair. The air he gave off was not that of a fourteen year-old boy but that of a grown man doing what he had to. "But your subject is Neville's passion, it's what he was born to do. You're his mentor, Professor, and, most likely, the woman he respects above everyone else. Including his Gran."

The confession took Professor Sprout back. Sure her colleagues had joked about her taking the young Longbottom under her wing, but she had shrugged the teasing off. She had even ignored the growing maternal feelings for the boy, knowing how little encouragement he was getting from the formidable Augusta Longbottom. Yet here was Mr. Potter telling her that she was the only one that the young Longbottom heir would listen to.

"You think he'd accept it from me and not her." She concluded.

"It's his father's wand, Professor." Harry reiterated. "Unless he was pushed into it, I don't think anyone could get him to get his own except for you."

Professor Sprout thought it over and conceded the point. With a firm nod she scribbled a note for Harry to avoid trouble at missing curfew and thanked him for coming to her. Harry only smiled and told her it was what family did for each other.

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oOoOo


	11. Karma be thy Mother, Karma be thy Father

**AN: First, I would like to thank all of you who have Followed, Favourited and Reviewed this story. If any of you wonder about my relatively fast posting speed it is because I am always at least five chapters ahead of what you're reading.**

 **Shadowkat87: I looked at having Harry be with a number of different options (not at the same time!) but my muse was quickly beaten into submission every time until Fem!Harry confessed her desire for Tonks. So there's your (eventual) prime pairing.**

 **I had an "interesting" review which started at attacking all English speakers for being unable to take criticism and moved on to what was essentially a diatribe against the HP canon books, HP fanfiction as a whole and even complaining about the popularity of another writer. However there was still a few points raised about this story that I felt were valid so here's my response:**

 **1 - Harry's meeting with the Malfoys at the World Cup. In an outtake Hermione condenses the moment into what happens if two countries with long standing friendships suddenly find themselves at odds (GB and US as example). Harry doesn't out-skill Lucius in that moment, nor does he have the personality to bully Narcissa, but instead uses Old Magic ties to remind them that the Potter and Black Families _never_ turn on each other. If there is a contract between two companies where one has potentially broken the agreement, a very young CEO would be able to have the upper hand over an experienced one.**

 **2 - As a follow on, all the "Scion of the Noble and Most Ancient..." moments are deliberate. Harry is an abused teenager who has never had a chance to push back at a world that's belittled him. He now possesses the political hammer of his family's legacy and will attack every problem as though its a hammer once he loses his temper. This will taper off the more the true politics of Wizarding Britain come into play and he is taught how to be more subtle.**

 **Enjoy the read!**

* * *

Karma be thy Mother, Karma be thy Father.

 _Did my words turn you off having a family, descendent? They shouldn't. In my sadness over what I had done to my flesh and blood I travelled the lands and found a new family. A better Family._

 _I kept myself hidden. No one knew my real name nor the Power I could wield. One day I was a vagabond, the next a rich traveller, the third had me be whatever else took my fancy. I saw wonders beyond description yet felt nothing. Nothing touched the emptiness I had created until I found two shining souls who welcomed me into their lives._

 _Two sisters who had lost everything in a raid to enemies, two innocents who were spared only by the Fates decree. Not an ounce of magical blood in either yet they refused to let the world destroy them. You cannot imagine how many Magicals I have seen be unable to do such a thing._

 _When you have seen Magicals, those who proclaim themselves above all others, crumble beneath pressures the way I have, such strength and determination are to be admired._

 _For years we travelled together before they confronted me. They knew what I was, had even guessed at who. They cared not at all._

 _What could I do, descendent? These two adults, children in my aged eyes, had accepted me when others had turned their backs. When my own blood had decried me as a relic, a sign of times best left in the dust of the ages, these two showed me otherwise. Gradually I told them my tale, the history of my pain, and still they remained. Continuing to refuse the easy choice of turning their backs._

 _They were too old to be given Power. But a gift given to their children? A gift of children? That I could do. That I did do._

 _I told them my plans. That it was a way of keeping their bloodline alive so the world could feel the power of their love. A love that should be shared rather than a dying wizard keeping it to himself._

 _They accepted. I only partially lied._

 _I did more than what I told them I would. I took my essence and split it, I cleaved my magic in two and used their blood to create two whole, beautiful babies out of each piece._

 _Disgusted, descendent? Life is Balance. My son proved to me only the very rarest could hold such a balance within themselves, so I did what I needed to do in order to continue my life's work._

 _They had no idea the true depths of what I had given them. Those two baby boys were the accumulation of my life. My legacy. I helped raise them, taught them what they needed to know, and made sure they knew the bond each held to the other._

 _To one, I gave this Book. His line forever knowing the truth, forever seeing the light at the of the long road. To the other, I gave my finest knife. The ones of his line have given up their blood upon that blade and in return their Family have been warriors and fighters without equal._

 _Two bloodlines. Two Families. One magic tying them all together. And now, descendent, there is you. You, a true child of both bloods. You, a true child of mine_.

 **[ Extract from the** _ **Potter Book**_ **]**

 _26_ _th_ _October, 1994 – Late evening._

Harry's nocturnal activities didn't stop with the visit to Professor Sprout. His next stop was the Shrieking Shack and the awaiting Sirius. It was time to air some questions and maybe, just maybe, get some answers.

He wore his invisibility cloak up until he slipped beneath the Whomping Willow and quietly made his way to the Shack's upstairs. Sirius had pitched the Wizard's tent in what could have been the bedroom of the rundown building. Well it made sense to the Marauder.

As much as they enjoyed seeing each other, the two had a schedule for Harry to visit in order for his schoolwork not to suffer and for the raven-headed boy not to abandon his friends. It wasn't one of their usual nights for speaking so, when Harry went through the tent's opening, he was able to catch his godfather at peace. Somewhat.

The man was sitting at the large table with different Black books spread out to cover every inch of the wooden surface. There was a clink of ice when Sirius brought a glass of Firewhiskey up to his forehead.

"Headache, Padfoot?" Harry said without warning.

The Animagus jumped to his feet, his glass clattering to the floor and Arcturus' wand was out and ready to cast before Sirius realised who had spoken.

"Bloody hell, Pup! I almost cursed you."

"But you didn't." Harry pointed out with a smirk.

He stood at the tent entrance, looking around the first place he had felt at home and didn't know how to begin. Sirius noticed his godson's pensive mood and felt a growing sense of dread.

"What's wrong, Harry?" The Marauder scooped up his glass and vanished the spilt liquid, it was something to do while Harry found his words.

"Moody put us under the _Imperio_." He told his godfather, his knees aching in memory. "I beat it."

"Mad-Eye always was a bit crazy." Sirius shook his head in surprise at what he was hearing. "I can't understand what Dumbledore is doing letting him put it on students but I'm proud of you."

"Did you know Neville's parents?" Harry focused on his godfather and Sirius felt a chill at the look. It was pure, unadulterated Lily-rage. Sirius hadn't seen a look like that since the time she threatened to castrate him after sleeping with one of her bridesmaids. Luckily for the conversation at hand it wasn't Alice Longbottom.

"Frank was a good man." Sirius carefully said. "A good Auror. Alice was a nice girl but Lily knew her better."

"They were in hiding." Harry swallowed hard and finally stepped into the tent. "Same as we were. Why were we in hiding, Padfoot? Why?"

"Harry...I...I don't understand. What's this about?"

"Why were we in hiding?" The green-eyed boy repeated, tears falling freely though he didn't notice. Sirius stepped closer but Harry failed to track the movement, his gaze too full of fears. "It wasn't just me and mum, it was all three of us. Why, damn it?"

"I don't know!" Sirius roared, his impotent rage exploding at the question, and with a huge throw he sent the glass hurtling into the tent's magical wall where it shattered.

The sound of fragmenting glass sound brought both partially to their senses before they tore into each other from blind pain.

"Morgana, Harry, don't you think I've tormented myself over this? All they told me was that there'd been some type of tip. That there was a chance that bastard was after them. Now for Merlin's sake, Pup, tell me what the hell is going on in that head of yours!"

"And the Longbottoms?" Harry asked again, ignoring the question as he took another step. The wild, almost hysterical look scared Sirius more than if a Dementor had entered the Shack. He felt as though he was seeing the death of his godson's sanity. "Was it the same for them?"

"I guess." Sirius aggressively shrugged. "I assume so. A lot of people were in hiding back then. It was a scary time."

"Two couples, each with a newborn, go into hiding." Harry pointed out. "One is attacked by Riddle himself, the other by his followers thinking that they know something."

"Harry." Sirius growled. By now the two were close enough to touch and Sirius was frantic enough to shake his godson if he didn't get any answers. When they finally came, the Animagus wished they hadn't.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" Harry's delivery was monotone but Sirius had no problems knowing who he was quoting. "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead."

Harry's control, honed in the hell that was Privet Drive, finally broke and he collapsed. Sirius caught him before he hit the floor and lowered them both down. The entire time Harry's weak voice was repeating the same four words.

"He came for me. He came for me."

.

.

oOoOo

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.

For Sirius it took far too long to calm his hysterical godson down. The sobs had built up over thirteen years and the Black Scion was close to calling one of the elves for a calming drought even though he knew it would have only numbed the turmoil, not get rid of it.

Eventually he was able to put Harry in his godson's favourite chair. Sirius pulled his own close enough to be able to hold the clammy hand as the teenager stared numbly off into space. They both had a glass of Ogden's Finest but neither could bring themselves to touch it.

"Harry." Sirius was being very careful with what he was about to say. "Are you sure about this? Isn't there any way that you could..."

"The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers." Harry interrupted in the same toneless manner as before. "His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before."

"What..?"

"Trelawney's prediction the night Wormtail escaped." Harry explained, finally turning to look at his godfather. "Do you know what Dumbledore said to me after?"

Sirius shook his head and felt the cold grip of fear tightening around his heart.

"That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay rise." Harry's looked deep into Sirius' soul. "Why would Riddle come after a baby?"

"Morgana..." Sirius whispered with closed eyes, unconsciously squeezing Harry's hand tight. Neither noticed. Neither cared. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to have Padfoot rip that old man apart."

"What do we do?" Harry pleaded. "Even if I'm wrong, Riddle was after me. Whatever the reason, he won't stop until he gets me."

"No!" Sirius growled, eyes snapping open. "We do what we've been doing, Harry. You train hard, you work hard, and you build yourself good friends. Friends that stand beside you. You aren't going to be alone in this, you hear me?"

Harry nodded. Sniffling, he wiped at his eyes with his free hand.

"I should..." He tried to say. "I should get back."

"Sleep here tonight. You can time-turn if you miss your first lesson."

"No." Harry weakly smiled at the offer. "I could do with the walk and..."

"And you need air." Sirius nodded in understanding. The both pretended that it was the only reason. "Will you be okay for a few days? It's about time I spoke to Moony."

"Bringing in the big guns to protect me?" Harry joked, knowing that was exactly what Sirius planned. "We have the mirrors, I have my friends. I'll be okay."

It took Harry half an hour to convince Sirius that would be the case. Sirius hated leaving Harry in such a state but he needed to see Mooney and Harry wanted the two Marauders to reconnect. Family was everything to both man and boy, and Remus Lupin, for all his faults, was Family.

.

.

oOoOo

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Harry lied to Sirius. It was only a little white lie but he still lied. He also didn't feel too sorry about it.

He'd told his godfather that he would head directly to bed and rest. Yet the simple fact was there were too many thoughts racing through Harry's mind to even consider the idea. Ever since Harry could remember he had asked himself why. Why was he alone? Why had he lost his family? If his guess was correct, and there seemed enough circumstantial evidence to suggest it was, he had finally found the answer.

Some batty old alcoholic witch had pointed a crazy madman at a baby's head.

He wore his father's cloak, pulled as tight around him as possible in order to feel connected to his parents, and wandered the corridors of Hogwarts aimlessly. He was numb in thoughts and emotions and, for the first time in a long time, wished he could re-find the Mirror of Erised.

What Harry found instead would derail his depression and change more than one person's fate.

Luna Lovegood, the wonderful but misunderstood neighbour to the Weasleys, was spinning and dancing down a hallway. Her shoes were laying on the floor and how the girl didn't slip on the stone in her odd coloured socks he didn't know. Harry watched her float through the air, her every move fluid and beautiful, and it pulled him out of the darkness that had been slowly suffocating him since his earlier talk with Neville.

Harry waited until she was facing away before quickly pulling off his cloak. As she spun back around, she gave him a wave and smile without even breaking a step. It was almost as if she'd known he was there.

"Hello, Harry Potter." Her soft voice said. "You're looking much better now the Wrackspurts are leaving you."

"Thanks, Lu." He smiled a genuine smile and actually felt it inside. "I've been reminded that there's still good things in the world."

Luna stumbled at the words and her large pale eyes widened even more. She stood frozen and stared at him, unsure how to react to the compliment.

"What are you doing out so late?" He asked, moving closer so that they could talk more softly. "Couldn't sleep?"

"The Nargles ran off with a ring my mother gave me." She explained in her unique way. "I tried looking for it and then the Wrackspurts confused the raven so I couldn't get back in."

Something deep inside Harry stretched out in fury at what the Fae-like girl had said. His magic pulsed once, pushing hard against the stone walls, and Luna giggled when it flexed over her skin.

"It's okay, Luna. I know a place you can stay."

He kicked off his shoes, picked up both pairs and took her hand. Without letting the unique girl argue, Harry took her the quickest route to the Room of Requirement and showed her how it worked.

"Now remember, Lu." He repeated like a parent speaking to their child or an older brother to their sister. "You walk in front of it three times and tell it what you want each time. You come here whenever you need to, okay?"

"Thank you, Harry." Luna wrapped herself around him in a tight hug and, while he was still uneasy about constant physical touch, there was more than enough emotion involved to make it easier for him.

She skipped through the strange looking door her imagination had created and Harry made sure _not_ to look through the opening. He didn't think he needed to know the inside of Luna's mind that exactly.

"Dobby." He called out once he was sure she wouldn't come back out. His little friend popped into place beside him, looking determined to do whatever was needed.

"I need you to find Luna's ring, Dobs." His voice had chilled and the Avada eyes glowed slightly with anger. "And anything else that those Ravenclaws might have taken. When she's asleep put her ring next to whatever she's using for a pillow. Everything else goes back in her trunk. If you're able to find out who took her stuff, that would be a big help too, okay?"

Throughout his instructions Dobby was nodding frantically. He liked the little Moon Mistress. She was kind to all the elves in Hogwarts and Dobby knew the others would be able to help him.

"Dobby bes doing it, Master Harry Potter sir."

"Thank you." Harry replied. "And Dobby, if you have to mess up some of their own stuff to take back hers, don't worry about it. Have fun."

The evil grin the elf gave Harry matched the thoughts Harry had towards the bullies. When Dobby popped away Harry found himself with a strange feeling of being reborn. The fears and doubts of before remained but they weren't overwhelming him. It was the magic of one strange little girl and her hug.

.

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oOoOo

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Sirius had not been idle since Harry left the Shack. He'd quickly packed everything up, shrunk the tent down and used Padfoot to make his way to the Forbidden Forest.

He needed a run. The loss of James and Lily had almost destroyed Sirius but if Harry was right and Riddle had actually been after him... The pain and panic, fury and denial all burned inside He of the Padded Foot and the four legs took Sirius through familiar trees.

Memories of his full moon adventures with his brothers in all but blood only made the idea of losing Harry to the evil that was Voldemort more real. It took a long time before the black grim had calmed down enough to enter Hogsmeade village only for it to skid to a halt in ragged breaths.

"Where is dogfather going?" Dobby demanded as he appeared in front of the animal. The elf's look had Padfoot's instincts ready to run at the fury in those large eyes. "Master Harry Potter sirs dogfather is better not bes leaving him to the bad wizards!"

"Easy, Dobby." Sirius answered once he had shifted back into his own form. His hands were outstretched in the universal show of peace. "I'm going to get Remus. I'm doing what I told you I would."

"Yous be making sure Master Harry Potter sir bes safe?" Eyes narrowing with suspicion, clearly not believing Sirius. "Yous not bes running away?"

"No!" Sirius shouted then cringed as the sound carried. He tried again in a softer voice. "No. I'm going to do whatever I can to keep my Pup safe."

"Nasty Master should have said so." A second voice told him. The condescending tone sounding too similar to his mother's for Sirius' enjoyment. He turned his head and gapped in surprise at the more youthful visage of Kreacher standing in the shadows.

"Kreacher? What in Morgana's name happened to you?"

Kreacher smiled wickedly and stepped into the moonlight. There was far more intelligence in his look than Sirius had ever seen.

"Nasty Master's little Half-blood." The elf explained with pride. "Kreacher feels what Nasty Master did and now the great House of Black be waking up. Kreacher's Half-blood do this through blood and magic."

Sirius' eyes shut in pain and pride. There, in shape of a much younger and more powerful Kreacher, was proof of the very secret he was about to dig up.

"I need to get to Remus." He weakly told them. "Then I have to get to Godric's Hollow."

"Nasty Master should have said." Kreacher scoffed and took a firm hold of Sirius' robes. In a silent double-pop the strange trio vanished.

Sirius found himself unceremoniously dumped in the dirt outside a small cottage. He growled at the grinning elves as he pulled himself to his feet, apparently the magic that had given Kreacher a new lease on life hadn't affected his twisted sense of humour.

"Nasty Master's wolf is in there." Kreacher told him, waving a hand dismissively at the cottage. "Nasty Master needs to fetch his wolf."

The elf's grin merely widened at Sirius' harsh glare.

The cottage had once belong to Moony's parents and was one of the only things they kept when their son had been forced to become a werewolf. It was left to Remus when he graduated Hogwarts so he would always have one place to return if needed.

Sirius hated that his friend had to live so. He steeled himself and knocked on the solid door loud enough to wake the dead. Or a very heavy sleeper of a werewolf.

A very tired and confused Remus Lupin opened the door, his eyes bleary from being pulled from the land of Morpheus. Sirius took one look at his childhood friend and remembered why he'd been avoiding this moment since the summer.

Remus became wide awake after the fierce right hook sent him stumbling back into the cottage. An angry Sirius Black stormed in while the elves watched on with more than a little interest.

"You're a complete bastard, Moony." Sirius snarled.

"Sirius?" Remus shook his head in confusion only to get hit by another punch that dropped him on his arse. The wolf, never far from the surface, rose up to defend them only for something to catch Remus' attention. The strangeness of the sight distracting his inner animal and allowed the man to speak.

"Are your elves betting on us?"

Sirius blinked at the bizarre question and turned to the doorway. Sure enough, Dobby was passing over a small bag of coins to the gleeful Kreacher.

"Huh...I guess they are." Padfoot answered, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Never saw that before."

"You want to tell me what those punches were about?" Remus demanded once he had regained pulled himself to his feet. "So I know whether I deserve them or not."

"Oh, you deserved them alright." Sirius snapped with a glare to his childhood friend.. "You told Harry he dishonoured James and Lily's deaths. How could you?"

Remus' shoulders dropped in instant defeat and the tired Marauder stumbled his way to a nearby chair. He remembered that day too clearly. Remembered the pain in Harry's eyes.

"I was an idiot." He confessed. Sirius grunt of agreement as he sat opposite sounded suspiciously like _Bloody idiot_ but Remus let it go. "Dumbledore said it was better I be a teacher rather than James' friend and uncle Moony. When I saw him with the Map and knew what we had done with it, I reacted. I took it too far, Pads. I would do anything to take that back."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Remus gave a determined nod. He had to make right by his lost friends even if it was the last thing he did for Harry.

"How about take on Dumbledore?" Sirius asked with wry amusement.

"Take on. Dumbledore?" Remus blinked and then took a deep sniff to see if his strong senses could pick up the scent of alcohol on his friend's breath. To his shock, Sirius was apparently completely sober. "As in fight?"

"Fight. Argue with. Battle to the death. Whatever was needed." Sirius explained, waving his had dismissively in the air.

"You can't be serious?"

"I have been ever since I was born." Padfoot smirked, falling back on the old joke. "Why change a good thing now?"

Remus moaned and hit the back of his head against the chair. He couldn't believe he had opened up the opportunity for the dreaded pun to make its appearance. They both heard the telltale tinkling of coins exchanging hands and decided they were better off pretending they didn't.

"Is there a reason you think I should be going after Dumbledore?" Remus grumbled, wondering if his friend had truly lost his mind.

"How about putting Harry in an abusive home and keeping him ignorant of everything he should have been taught as a Potter? Or that we think there's a deeper reason why James and Lily died that night and Dumbledore knows it?" Remus' eyes snapped open and the brown bled to amber at what he was hearing. "Harry remembers that night. Voldemort was after _him._ "

"Tell me everything." Came the fierce growl.

.

.

oOoOo

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.

 _27th October, 1994 – Early morning, Godric's Hollow._

Two men, years of long friendship between them, and two of the strangest house-elves one could imagine, appeared silently in the shadows. All four pair of eyes looked at the impressive war memorial that dominated the village square, their magical nature letting them see the statue of a once happy family instead of the obelisk it appeared to be.

"What are we doing here, Pads?" Remus croaked. His throat was dry and his nerves were on edge. He had made a silent pilgrimage to the memorial as often as he could and it never got any easier.

"We're here to save Harry." Sirius Black told him in a voice that brokered no arguments.

The village was small and Sirius took the same steps he had all those painful years ago. Back then he had felt a sense of dread, of primal fear at losing everything that mattered to him. This time there was a slight hint of hope.

Whether Harry forgave him for what he was about to do, what he had done, Sirius didn't know, but he knew it was at least a way for his godson to be free.

"It was never meant to be like this." Sirius broke the silence as they came to Potter Cottage. What was once a lovely home with its charming garden and decorative front gate was a ruined, burnt out shell. A corpse. "We were supposed to ride together. Unbeatable."

"Sirius?"

"I told them to pick Peter." Sirius swallowed hard but nothing could remove the taste of failure and betrayal he constantly lived with. "I was too close, Moony, too obvious a choice."

"We knew there was a spy in the Order." Mooney replied through his own tears. "We just couldn't imagine it was him."

"You know why they never picked you?" Sirius asked, facing his friend. Remus shook his head. That question had haunted him as much as any since the betrayal. "Dumbledore. Dumbledore said it was better to have someone close by who knew the secret rather than it be you. You were always away with the packs."

"Dumbledore was the one who sent me on those missions." Mooney growled, his kind eyes ripped away by the fury of the wolf. "I would have stayed with all of you if I had the choice."

"I know." Was the whispered response.

Sirius reached out to run his fingers over the large P of the gate and traced the letter with the carved forms intertwining it. Padfoot and Moony howled on either side, protecting as they always had, while Wormtail climbed the long straight edge. Someone had scratched out the details of the rodent and a quick look to the stoic Remus told him who.

Prongs stood proudly on top while there, inside the space of the letter, was the face of a tiger. She was the heart of the Marauders, the one who had kept them honest. Lily had only found her Animagus form that year, hadn't yet been capable of changing, but James had refused to wait. He had been determined to put her among them as she had always been.

"Mischief Managed."

The password released the hidden magic built into the gate and the lock opened. Whatever seal the Ministry had put on the property gave way beneath the deeper link between the family bond between the Marauders. Remus followed his silently sobbing friend onto the pathway and to rebuilt door.

Sirius opened the door, the memory of Halloween overlapping his reality so tightly that he was actually shocked when he didn't find James' body at the foot of the stairs. He staggered to the the spot his brother had fallen and collapsed to his knees, the emotional pain as strong as any he had been forced to feel in Azkaban.

"Is that where..." Remus tried asking but couldn't. The place had too many memories for them both and Remus could still hear Lily's laughter echo in the dark hallway.

"James." Sirius was eventually able to nod. A shaky hand rose so he could kiss his fingers and press them to the vacant spot. "I won't fail you again, Prongs. Not again."

Remus helped him up, unable to take his eyes away from the spot his friend had fallen to the deadliest of spells. The two men dragged each other up the stairs, one painful step at a time. Each one pushed Sirius closer to losing his mind and Remus grew more worried about his friend's state as they went. Something was wrong, more than what Sirius had told him, and dread ate at his stomach.

The elves followed in awed, respectful silence. They felt the evil that had tainted the home and their little hearts, even the one that belonged to Kreacher, broke.

Sirius took a look hard look down the hallway towards the nursery but refused to tread that horrifying journey. He had done it once when he had followed the painful cries of a baby Harry. No power on Earth could take him down that part of the house again.

"This is it, Moony." His body shuddering from the onslaught of emotions. "This is where you find out the truth."

Remus looked at his friend in confusion at the confession. _What truth?_ By the time he was able to consider voicing the question, Sirius had stepped away and into James and Lily's bedroom. The werewolf quickly followed and saw Sirius go directly to a small painting that hung next to the closet. It was a copy of William-Adolphe Bouguereu's _The Birth of Venus_.

Sirius pulled out a silver dagger from beneath his robe and sliced into his thumb. Remus watched as his friend drew the rune for family on the goddesses' pale stomach.

"Family Forever." Sirius spoke the command clearly.

The rune flared with magic and it judged his right to the secrets hidden. Only Sirius knew the deadly curses waiting to be set loose if he failed the test. The rune flared a second time and then the painting faded away to reveal an open space, inside sat a single journal written in the hand of Lily Potter née Evans along with a collection of scrolls and vials.

Sirius scooped up all but the book into a conjured bag and then turned to Remus, journal extended. "Read."

"Here? Now?" Remus couldn't believe it. They were in the home of their best friends, the memories and ghosts tormenting them every second, and Sirius wanted him to _read?_

"Now." Sirius commanded. "I swore that only Harry's eyes would ever read it outside of this house. You aren't going to make me break that oath, Moony. Now read."

Remus frowned, his brow furrowing, and with trepidation he took the journal. With reverence he sat on the bed and opened the book, and for once he cursed his ability to read fast. The surprises kept coming right up until he got to the end.

"I don't..." He swallowed hard, a hand running over his haggard face and tried again. "It's true? All of it?"

"All of it."

"Have you told..."

"Harry?" Sirius scoffed. The Marauder had yet to move from the spot. "Not yet. There's a lot of technical jargon in there and its been a lot of years since Lily explained the details to me. I needed someone who could understand it all so I didn't screw up."

"Why!" Remus' low cry was filled with pain and confusion. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"How could we? What could we have said?" Sirius snapped, baring his teeth as though he was in his Padfoot form. "And anyway, Lily thought it would sort itself out before it was a problem."

"Why are you bringing this up now, Pads?" Remus searched his friend's eyes. "Are there signs of being an issue?"

"A few." Sirius confessed painfully. "That damn _Book._ The secret Potter one. I think it's unlocking everything, he's been having dreams."

Sirius sighed and looked around, his eyes picking up stories to almost every item in the room.

"It's the last roll of the dice." He pleaded for his childhood friend to understand. "If things turn bad, if snake-face is really after Harry, this gives him a chance to disappear. To vanish and live a better life. Moony, that there is his chance to escape. No one would ever be able to find him. Screw Dumbledore, screw the Ministry, screw them all. Prongslet would be free and clear."

"And alive." Remus added with a nod, finally seeing the plan that was being proposed.

"This would save little Half-blood?" Kreacher spoke up from the doorway. Both men jumped, they had forgotten all about the elves.

"Master Sirius must do it." The Black elf demanded. "Nasty Master's wolf must do it. Kreacher will not lose more masters to nasty snake wizard!"

Remus gave his friend a weak smirk of amusement. Throughout the older elf's speech Dobby had been nodding his head fast enough to be almost a blur.

"The little guys have spoken. I'm in."

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oOoOo

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 _27th October, 1994 – Early Morning, Hogwarts_

Harry found himself standing in a green field. Here and there the grass was stained a dirty brownish-red and it took him a little while to realise where he was.

It was the field of slaughter from the dream. Which mean the hill to his right was the one he had been on when he watched Riddle kill Sirius. Harry took a deep breath and threw his head back with a roar.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

A low grow told Harry that the wolf was back and he faced it with a glare, his teeth bared in the primal show of defiance.

"I'm blood sick of this place, you know that right?" He snarled, curling his hands into claws as though ready to fight the animal. "First there was that horrible free-for-all, that girl living in my place and then Sirius! What more could you show me? What more do you want from me?"

The wolf stared at him without flinching, obviously not appreciating his attitude nor his words. It sat back on its hunches in a regal pose and waited for Harry to run out of steam.

"Great, ignore me!" Harry complained, throwing his hands in the air in defeat. "I bet you're not even real. Of course you're not real, you're in my Morgana-be-damned head! So you're some mental hallucination to torment me? Some twisted thing from my subconscious? Or am I being possessed by an overly friendly, nightmare inducing wolf? Is that it? Are you one of Lu's animals? Because if you are..."

The wolf threw its head off to the side once it realised that his ramblings weren't going to end any time soon. The action caught Harry's attention enough that he stopped the ever increasingly bizarre ideas of the animal's origins and he looked to where the wolf had indicated.

What he saw was a far too familiar sight.

The mirror was as magnificent as it had been the first time he saw it. It stood alone, reaching to the heavens with an ornate gold frame, and had an enticing aura that pulled a person to it. Harry's breath caught in his throat and he closed his eyes. Hadn't he only that day thought of seeing it again?

 _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt wohsi._

 _I show you your heart's desire._

"The Mirror of Erised." He snapped in fury. "Bloody thing should be destroyed."

As much as Harry had been wanting to look into the mirror's surface and be lost in the image of his parents, he also knew its dangers. Dangers he was strong enough to fight against.

It was the wolf's turn to grunt. Though whether in agreement, at Harry's thoughts, or the entire situation, he didn't know.

Although he knew what he would see, and didn't want to look, Harry still moved slowly, one agonising step after another. It was a dream and the dream wanted him to see.

There she was. The bright red hair and laughing eyes of Lily Potter née Evans. She looked the same age as in his nightmares. Only in the mirror she was happy. Harry guessed that the young James also matched how his father looked before they died, although he really had no memories of the man.

The young and so much in love couple were cooing and smiling over a crib and Harry could see the kicking feet through the white bars.

Tears fell and Harry could hear small sobs coming from somewhere. It took a while before he realised they were his own.

A young and healthy Sirius seemed to glide through the nursery door and Harry's heart stopped. His godfather looked so happy, so full of life. This was a Sirius Black who Harry could only catch glimpses of in the eyes of the man he knew. It was the Padfoot who had never faced the horrors of Azkaban, a man who still had the world at his feet and his family standing beside him.

Harry watched the three friends hug each other and his hand rose to touch the mirror, only to freeze when he realised it was Sirius' face that it was reaching for.

"Damn mirror." He growled, spinning to face the wolf. The tears might continue to flow but their reason had changed. "Even the bloody thing's truth is backwards! I'm right, aren't I? It doesn't show us our true heart's desires, it shows us an example of them."

Harry turned back and he had eyes for the only father figure he had ever known. The two Potters faded from his thoughts.

"I want family...parents...love. I have that now." He declared. "You hear me, you mangy thing! I have it now. That mirror won't control me any more!"

The wolf's tongue flopped out from over the sharp teeth in a far too familiar grin. Harry had seen Sirius in his Padfoot form laugh at him that way and it caused Harry's anger to break free. His fingers clenched into a tight fist and was already raising to slam into the hated mirror when its image changed.

The nursery fell away to be replaced by the sight of a teenage girl. She was aristocratic in looks, beating even the Ice Queen of Slytherin for striking features. They reminded Harry of Sirius, especially with the raven curls that fell far below her shoulders. The same dark hair that he had seen on the little girl from his other dream.

The young woman was giving him the same type of laughing smile as the wolf and her elegant face held the same laurel green eyes. The mirror's surfaced wavered slightly and there was Harry's reflection overlapping hers, their features blurring together until he struggled to see where one ended and one began.

"No!" He argued, shaking his head in desperation as he stepped away from the mirror. The overlapping blurred image didn't change. "No, it can't be. It's some sick joke."

The wolf remained silent, the girl in the mirror could not speak.

 _You are as much my child as you are James and Lily's._

"Sirius...you bastard..." Harry moaned out as the truth refused to be denied.

Harry dropped to his knees in heart-breaking sobs. He cried in confusion, cried for being kept in the dark, and cried for not knowing what it all meant for Harry James Potter.

Harry slowly became aware of the soft nuzzling of the wolf and instinctively he wrapped his arms around the large animal. Eventually tears, even in a dream, run dry and Harry pulled away from the warm fur.

"What do I do?" He asked those grey-green eyes. It looked at the mirror and Harry followed. The girl's face was sad, tear-stained to match his own, but there was a plea in her features he recognised from his childhood. The plea for freedom.

.

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oOoOo

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Harry woke exhausted and numb. He pulled himself out of the bed and slipped the Marauder's Map out from its safe spot beneath his pillow. He spent minutes staring at where the name _Harry Potter_ was clearly visible and not once did it waver into something else.

It didn't make him feel better.

He woke Neville only to tell his friend that they were missing their morning run and slipped quickly out of the dorm. Harry swung from raging emotions to total numbness and he needed a release before the swings tore him apart. He refused to think about what the dream had told him yet the combined image of his face and the girl's refused to leave his mind's eye.

It was in the Room of Requirement, surrounded by piles of rumble and damaged dummies that Tonks found Harry. He had blown up his thirtieth statue just as she walked through the door and she whistled in admiration.

"Impressive, Harry." She told him as she leaned against the wall. "Neville said you didn't look well when you cancelled our run so I though I'd check up on our resident Arithmancy genius."

"You alone, Nat?" He asked her, turning so she could see his face and the evidence of his tears.

"You got me to yourself, hot-shot." She gave him a reassuring smile as she moved to the table and dropped into her preferred seat. "And for the record, you look like shit."

Harry gave her a weak smile and copied her action, running his hands frantically over his face as he learned back in the chair.

"How do you do it?" He softly asked. "How do you cope?"

"Do what?" She asked in confusion. "Cope with what?"

"How do you cope being someone your not?" His eyes locked with hers and she swallowed painfully around the lump that had threatened to choke her. There was a look of knowledge in his gaze that she wasn't comfortable with. "Taking on a different face. Being a different person."

"How...?" Nymphadora Tonks asked, her mouth working to complete the question yet no words came out.

Harry waved his hand at the table where the pale _Potter Book_ sat along with the open and unlocked Map. He had been checking and rechecking it ever since he entered the room with the same result. He was still Harry Potter.

Tonks gasped when she leaned forward and saw the magic of the parchment and the two names it was focused on. _Harry Potter_ and _Nymphadora Tonks_.

"How long have you known?" She asked meekly, looking between Harry and the magical Map.

"Almost since the beginning." He shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. "Sirius remembered you wanted to be an Auror when you was a girl, did some maths and worked out this would be your first year as one. Since he sent the note to Madam Bones, it wasn't too hard to guess why you were here. I haven't told the others."

Tonks nodded numbly. She'd had her frantic moments, even cried a few times on Susan's shoulders a few times about having to lie to Harry the way she had been. She was undercover and she could handle the deception with the other students. But with Harry it had been harder. The secret tormented her when he had shared so much and had been wearing her down. Yet she hadn't been able to find a way of telling him, hadn't found the courage.

"How do you cope?" Harry repeated, needing to know.

"I am who I am, Harry." She told him honestly once she was able to consider the question. "A different name, a different face, I'm still me. It helps that I'm a Metamorphmagus, I can change back to the real me when I want."

"You ever feel like you're losing the real you?"

"Harry...what's this all about? Talk to me, please." She pleaded.

He looked away for a couple of minutes and when he looked back there was determination in his gaze but one mixed with fear and pain.

"That's the _Potter Book._ " He explained, pointing at the object he was sure had started it all, and Tonks gasped. He gave a wry smile at the noise. "You've heard of it."

"Only as a legend." She swallowed hard. "Mum said she heard lots of stories about it; the Grimoire to end all Grimoires. A book with the power of the ages, all the dirty secrets of the Potter enemies, secrets to bring down the entire Wizengamot. Heck, even the last resting place of Merlin!"

Harry threw his head back and laughed, the release easing some of the stress that weighed him down.

"The _Book_ tells the Potters about their heritage and reminds us of the bond with you Blacks." He gave a wry grin. "The secrets are only revealed if a ritual is done first."

"You did it." Tonks guessed shrewdly.

"Share a little blood, learn it all." Harry half-joked. "And see things. Dream things."

"Like with You-Know-Who?" Her face filled with worry at the possibility of Harry being touched even more by the feared monster. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he shook his head.

"About our Families mostly but about myself too." Harry swallowed and forged ahead, explaining the dreams and his final conclusion.

"Are you sure?" She pressed, a frown marring her cute face. "It could be a distortion from the dream and mirror and with your feelings of Sirius being so strong..."

She trailed off at the sight of Harry closing down, his face going blank at her disbelief. Tonks quickly spoke up, fighting against the emptiness of his eyes.

"Harry, I'm only saying it might not mean that." She tried to bring back the openness she had grown to enjoy seeing when he looked at her. "Look, I know some Legilimency. If you let me I can look in your mind and see the dream for myself. Maybe see if I can come to the same answer?"

Harry stared at Tonks without blinking nor any other sign he'd heard her, and her stomach dropped in fear. Had she lost him? Would she have the barrier between them that she'd seen him use with others? Then her heart jumped in happiness when she watched the light re-enter those emerald eyes.

"Okay, Nat. I trust you."

She knew how much his trust was worth. Tonks took her time to pull out her wand and point it at his forehead, the question clear in her eyes and she only continued when he nodded.

" _Legilimens._ "

Tonks' touch was as gentle as she could make it while she watched the dream play out. When it was over there was only one thing she could say.

"Wow...you're hot as a girl."

Harry spluttered and blushed, looking away in embarrassment that only got stronger at her giggles.

"I've never heard of a spell that could do what you're thinking." She confessed. "It looks like it could be true but I have to ask, Harry, why does it matter?"

"Nat!" Harry cried out, mouth dropping. His embarrassment forgotten at the question. "Of course it matters!"

"Does it?" She pushed on with growing determinism. "Whatever the truth, you're still the person you are inside of you. You still have the same life experiences. And you know what, you still have Sirius as a loving parent who broke out of jail for you!"

Harry stared at her and she took the chance to push on.

"If you're really, somehow, a girl that doesn't change the person you are inside. Whether you're you or that hottie, you'd still have the same morals, the same passions. Believe this metamorph; the container does not change the ingredients."

Harry scrubbed at his face and sighed. It was still too much for him to accept but she'd given him something to consider. He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice her rising and coming around the table to take his hand.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and have breakfast. You don't need to make yourself sick about this until you speak to Sirius."

 _That_ , at least, was something Harry could agree with.

.

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oOoOo


	12. Lady Black and the Fourth Champion

**AN: So I've been sick since my last update and I come back to find a wonderful amount of new favourites and followers. Thank you all and it's now the reveal over how and why Harry isn't only Harry.**

 **I've been through this chapter and it's my longest (11K + words) as well as the one I am most unsure about. Harry's emotions are all over the place and that tends to make my writing feel disjointed. Hopefully you enjoy this.**

 **desireejones99 - As explained in this chapter, the change doesn't have to be a one-time deal and yes, that will make it difficult for Harry initially. As I mentioned in a previous AN, I was planning on having it a Fem!HarryxTonks relationship but the two have refused this to be anything more than a quick fling.**

 **Thar - Thanks for the great review and I'm glad you liked Harry putting the pieces together. In hindsight Dumbledore dropped too many hints about the prophecy and connection with Riddle in the early books and a smart Harry shouldn't have picked up some of it at least. You're spot on about the mixture of Black and Potter blood in regards to James, however the _Book_ also talks about attitude (or I hope it's coming through that it does). I don't see James as being neutral enough in his attitude towards light/dark/grey magic to bring the family legacy into play.**

 **projectjay - A very good question. I don't want to spoil the answer too early but this will be explained to Harry on his 15th birthday.**

 **Also for those also reading Changes Beyond the Grave. Chapter 2 will be posted late Thursday/Early Friday GMT.**

* * *

Lady Black, Champion Four

 _I taught the boys well. My grandchildren travelled wide and far, secure in their Powers. Always together, always in balance._

 _My Creation magic remained strong as I knew it would. I made sure they would beget many offspring to be sure my blood survived. By your time, descendent, the fertility spell has weakened, but you are born and thus it matters not._

 _Balance was my commandment and balance did my bloodlines bring. For every hero of my legacy has been a villain. For all the peaceful souls, so has there been killers and destroyers._

 _The years have been many and some have become notorious in Time. Some of their stories are contained in this Book._

 **[ Extract from the** _ **Potter Book**_ **]**

 _27th October, 1994_

It was a much better looking Harry who walked with Tonks to the Great Hall for breakfast. Initially he had dragged his feet, feeling mental exhaustion at the whiplash of the past twenty-four hours, yet her natural bubbly personality seeped into him. Tonks was even more bouncy now her own stress of hiding her identity from Harry had lifted and at some point had taken his hand to drag him down the corridors.

All thoughts and words died a quick death when they got to the entrance of the Hall. The two friends pushed through the crowd in their way only to find themselves standing and gawking like all the rest.

The illusionary sky was missing. The magic removed to reveal the same stonework as the walls and it was covered in a large collection of personal items. Tonks was able to pick out clothes, jewellery, schoolwork items and her eyes widened when caught sight of a few sex toys. It had all been arranged in large letters spelling out three simply words.

THIEVES BE HERE.

Harry immediately looked to the Ravenclaw table and the happy blonde sitting in her usual seat. She was in the midst of destroying an impressive stack of pancakes and the light glinted off the ring now decorating her finger. Tonks followed his look and then glanced between the girl and the ceiling.

"Something you forgot to tell me, hot stuff?"

"Karma." Harry began to chuckle only to lose control and break out into a loud belly laugh. The release was joyous, cleansing, and his face shone with the sheer delight he saw at what Dobby and his friend's merry band of elves had done.

"Harry." The stern voice of Dumbledore called from the teachers' table. "Would you happen to know something about this?"

"Why?" He giggled, wiping away the happy tears as he entered the Hall between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. "Because I laughed? It's funny, Headmaster, or do you have another reason to suspect me?"

"Mister Potter, behave yourself." McGonagall demanded. Harry ignored her, his focus solely upon Dumbledore.

"It would be a stunt worthy of your father, Potter." Snape spoke up with the usual snarl of thinking about James Potter.

"I agree." Harry admitted, not realising his steps had taken on a supple, predatory smoothness to them as he approached Luna's chair. "And I would have admitted to it if this was my doing."

"Sometimes, Harry." Dumbledore sagely said. "It is our doing even if our hand does not do the act itself and so we must also accept the punishment."

Harry snarled He didn't know how the old man had found out he had been involved but he was sure it should also have given Dumbledore the reason why.

"Are you saying you know I had a say in this?" He demanded. There was a smug gleam to the Headmaster's eyes that didn't sit well with the young man. "Because if, perchance, you did have proof and ignored everything behind the act..."

"My office, Harry. Now!" Dumbledore interrupted, his grandfatherly persona dropping away as he stood to reveal the stern wizard beneath.

"...If that was the case then I'm sure your staff would be open to hearing the reason why this happened at all." Harry finished.

He had come to a stop and looked down at the wonderful young girl who was still enjoying her breakfast. He gave her a smile without any masks, allowing her to see the real, unguarded him. "Lu, darling, that ring looks lovely on you."

"Thank you, Harry." She beamed up at him with tears of gratitude in her pale eyes. "Thank you."

"I, Harry James Potter, Scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter." Harry declared as he raised his venomous gaze to glare at the Ravenclaws whose possessions hung above them. "Place Luna Lovegood beneath my banner and beneath my arms. Let her enemies be my enemies, her losses be my losses. Those who take from her in turn take from me and shall feel my wrath three-fold in reply. So I say, so mote it be!"

The Hall reverberated with the boom of a loud gong at Harry's declaration. The Ravenclaws had flinched as he spoke and now they stared at him with fearful eyes. The once cute Cho Chang was now shaking as impotent rage and the need for self-preservation clashed inside her.

"Professor Flitwick." Harry called behind him, not looking away from his prey.

"Yes, Scion Potter." The part-goblin teacher replied, his tone filled with the respect due Harry's act.

"Your House has a bullying problem. A big one. May I suggest you sort it out before things escalate into something these children wouldn't want to pay."

"Consider it done."

Harry turned back to Dumbledore and gave his most disarming smile at the now frantically worried man. The smile didn't reach those intense green eyes and it was a smile that Dumbledore had seen on another powerful student's face decades before. The comparison had him feel not the slightest bit comforted.

"Shall we head to your office now, Headmaster?" Harry chirped happily, his mood swinging back to its previously happy state. He walked out of the Hall with a skip in his steps and a whistle on his lips.

Only a few recognised the tone as the Wizard of Oz's "We're off to see the wizard."

The Hall erupted with noise at what had witnessed. News would spread to those not there and before lunch all would know the lengths Harry would go to protect his friends. No one would want to face their family after starting a blood-feud with House Potter.

As soon as Harry had left the Great Hall Neville moved directly to Luna to pluck up her plate. The girl whined in dismay at losing her precious pancakes and dutifully followed him to the Gryffindor table. Harry had given her his protection and Neville would not let Harry down. The more amused students wondered just how far the Ravenclaw would go in order to reclaim her prized breakfast.

Tonks could remember her own troubled times at the hands of mean girls and shadowed the pair, glaring darkly at the elder Ravenclaw girls with vicious plans of revenge bubbling away. She could easily guess at what they had done to the Luna and swore to keep an eye on the little darling.

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oOoOo

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Harry found himself leaning against the grumbling gargoyle in wait for Dumbledore. He knew he should have handled the moment differently, losing control was everything against his summer's focus. Yet the moment he suspected that the Headmaster knew what Luna had suffered through and yet only had a desire to bring him to heel had been the undoing of Harry's temper's.

He couldn't imagine what was keeping the old man until he saw the small herd of teachers heading his way. The four Head of Houses followed the Headmaster and, this time, it seemed it wasn't what Dumbledore wanted.

"I assure you all I can talk to Mister Potter alone and find out what's going on. There's no need for a group meeting."

"I'm sorry, Albus." Professor Flitwick argued, clearly not sorry in the slightest. "But I need to know everything he does about what my 'Claws have been up to. I will not abide bullying in my House."

"And he is one of my Lions." McGonagall said as if it explained everything. Sometimes Harry was almost certain it did. Sometimes.

Harry gave them all a cheeky grin and moved out of the way moments before the gargoyle opened. The group trundled up to the office to find a highly animated Fawkes waiting for them. The phoenix was hopping back and forth on his perch, chirping away in sheer excitement and Dumbledore stumbled to a halt to look at the crazed bird.

Harry smiled and went immediately to his friend. He had always felt a link to Hedwig and, despite her vocal nature, the two knew what each other were thinking without any words. Strangely he could now feel something similar with the happy Fawkes.

"Yes, I got in trouble again." He told the phoenix as the others took or conjured up their seats. Fawkes trilled and Harry laughed. "Of course it was worth it."

"You understand him, Harry?" Dumbledore froze in mid-sitting and looked shaken at the camaraderie between two. "You know what he is saying?"

"Not in words." Harry shrugged truthfully. He went to take his own seat and Fawkes hopped on Harry's shoulder so he could nip at the Potter nest of hair. Harry sighed, feeling as if he'd merely found a second, larger, Hedwig in all her demanding glory. Fawkes' trilling reply to that thought held more than a trace of laughter.

"She's going to be jealous, Fawkes." He told the bird who blatantly ignored the warning. "She's very possessive of me."

Fawkes continued to play with Harry's hair completely unconcerned about the threat. It took a deep cough from Dumbledore to regain Harry's attention.

"I think we need to hear what this morning was about, Harry."

Everyone waited for Harry's explanation. Harry merely took the quiet as a chance to relax in the chair and enjoy the feel of a beak running through his hair. It reminded him that he hadn't spent enough time with Hedwig and promised himself to rectify that sooner rather than later.

Flitwick grinned at the way Harry kept control of the meeting. It was almost goblin-esque in its artistry.

The Headmaster sighed when it became obvious Harry wasn't going to speak. "What you did, my boy, it's very wrong. You stole from your fellow students. You've humiliated them."

"No I didn't." Harry denied. Fawkes trilled an accusation and Harry glared at the cheeky phoenix. "That's completely different and you know it. They're probably dead anyway."

"Dead?" Dumbledore gasped along with the others. "Who is dead, Harry?"

"Whoever owned the first edition of _Hogwarts: A History_ that I found." Harry smirked at the misunderstanding but inside his anger was stretching out, pushing at his control. Dumbledore seemed too easy believe he was capable of killing someone. "I gave it to Hermione for her birthday and Fawkes reminded me that I didn't, technically, ask the owner's permission and that's, again technically, stealing."

"Potters." Snape groaned from the corner, pinching his nose in an effort not to fall back on his old habits with the boy. He felt the act itself should have gotten him an Order of Merlin.

"Mister Potter." Professor Flitwick spoke up and Harry gave the small Charms Master his full attention. "My 'Claws, if you would?"

"I found her last night locked out of Ravenclaw Tower." Harry explained, his eyes darkening at the memory. "They'd taken Luna's stuff, including a very personal ring from her mother, and somehow kept her from being able to get back into the Tower. I don't know what else they've done but I doubt it stopped at that."

"And why were you out beyond curfew, my boy?" Dumbledore seized on the least important fact only for someone else to answer and snuff his enthusiasm.

"Because he came to see me about a different issue." Professor Sprout told him in a no-nonsense tone. "I gave him a note to excuse his tardiness. Stick to what is important here, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded sagely, fooling no one, and leaned forward. "Harry, I must say, I'm disappointed in the way you've gone about this. You could have come to us rather than do what you did. You'll have to serve detention."

"No."

"Mister Potter!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "One does not say no to the Headmaster."

"Maybe they should. Look, I found Luna, I took her to a safe place to spend the night and then asked the house-elves to find her stuff. This morning I gave her Potter protection." He told them in a monotone and bored voice. "You have no proof I did anything else."

"You told us, my boy." The wizard's beard might hide the smirk but Harry knew it was there. He saw it in the twinkling eyes. "You said downstairs..."

"I asked you if you had proof of me doing it." Harry interrupted. "Because, if you did, Headmaster, that would also mean you would have known the reason why it happened."

The wrinkled face blanched at the logic Harry weaved.

"So the question is, Headmaster." Harry smirked. "Are you admitting to your staff that you're more interested in punishing me than protecting your other students?"

Harry's gaze moved to the cracked wall behind Dumbledore. He followed the jagged scar up to the portrait of Phineas Black and to his surprise, the man was nodding in approval.

"You've changed, my boy. You've stopped talking to your friends, you're more aggressive."

"Dumbledore!" The cry from Sprout was a warning but the Headmaster's eyes bored into Harry. He could see a growing fanatical gleam to them and felt his stomach drop.

"Friends?" Harry pushed away the worry to look at each Head of House as he gave names. "Neville Longbottom. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. Luna Lovegood. Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis and maybe even Blaise Zabini." When Harry turned to Dumbledore there was only one name to speak. "Ronald Weasley. A small loss for such a wonderfully new set of friends. Or don't you agree?"

"The Weasleys are a good Light family, Harry." Dumbledore pushed. "What would have you abandoned Mister Weasley after you've been friends for so long?"

"Ron Weasley stands for everything outsiders think of Gryffindors." Fawkes bobbed his head in agreement, painfully tugging at his favourite lock in the process. McGonagall looked distressed and on the point of arguing. Harry raised a hand to count off his points. "Loud, obnoxious, ignorant of anything that doesn't suit him and completely incapable of seeing someone beyond his own thoughts. Do you think he would have made friends with people from all four Houses? Do you think he would have offered protected to Luna?"

"You sound like one of my Slytherins." Snape spoke up, amusement colouring his gaze, and there was almost respect in the tone.

"Without Ron Weasley as a friend, I would have been one of your Slytherins." Harry fully admitted to the group. All but Dumbledore reacted in some kind of shock. Harry's eyes locked on the Headmaster's.

"You're afraid I'll go Dark." Harry crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, the embodiment of a Lord. He gave a slow shake of his head even though inside he was fuming and only his growing mental control kept it from showing. "You're so worried I'm going to be evil, you can't think of anything else. So let's talk about me going Dark."

The room inhaled as one at his words. Fawkes merely nibbled on a new lock that had stuck out at an interesting angle after his head-shake.

"To be more precise, let's talk about why the Dark came after me." Harry's smile took on a disturbing slant and a grey tint bled into his eyes. "Why were my family in hiding, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore visibly flinched and Snape, outside of Harry's view, also cringed. Only Flitwick saw the reaction of both.

"Harry..."

"You see I remember things. Well, one specific thing actually." Harry continued on. The world fell away as he dared Dumbledore to speak up. "I remember him telling mum to move out of the way. He was going to spare her because he had come for _me."_

The part-goblin Professor caught the way Snape's eyes widened and his loyalty shifted further as the meeting deteriorated.

Harry felt a powerful pressure build against his Occlumency shields, far harder than anything he had come across before. Something dangerous and deadly rose up from within in rage against the invasion.

 _{{Back off, old man.}}_ He hissed in Parseltongue, causing most of the teachers to shiver at the sound. The pressure vanished and the inner lethal presence slipped back into the darkness that hid in the corner of Harry's mind.

"Stay out of my head, Headmaster." Harry stood, switching back into English. Fawkes angrily trilled at the older wizard for upsetting his nest and returned to his perch. "And if I ever find out your hand was involved in what happened to my Family, you'll find out what it means to go to war with both House Potter and House Black. Take that for any colour of magic you want."

Harry stormed from the office. The teachers were all left in various stages of shock and awe at what they had witnessed.

"Is what the boy said true, Albus?" Minerva McGonagall demanded as soon as the door closed behind Harry. "Was You-Know-Who after Harry instead of Lily and James?"

"Minerva, please." Dumbledore waved his hand in the air as if telling the Scotswoman to calm. "This is not the time, nor place. Some things shouldn't be spoken of."

"You let that boy be abused, Headmaster." Sprout's usually pleasant face had screwed up into one of fury. "And now we find out he was that madman's target all along. What else haven't you been telling us?"

"Enough! There are things I cannot, must not, speak of." Dumbledore was enraged and his magic flared to silence the dissenting voices. Once again Harry had escaped his attempts to bring him back onside. Each time he was close to gaining leverage over the boy, something would happen that took the momentum away. "I'm sorry. Now please, all of you, the students are waiting."

"Your aura doesn't impress me, Headmaster." Professor Flitwick warned as he slid off his smaller seat. There was a wildness about the normally happy-go-lucky Charms Master that few had ever witnessed before.

"I warn you, Albus Dumbledore. I'm not completely cut off from my family at Gringotts. I hear things. Rumours." Flitwick cast a predatory glare at Snape. "And if that boy goes to war, there will be many who join him."

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oOoOo

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 _30th October, 1994_

When Professor McGonagall was next able to catch Harry alone she gave him a dressing down for his attitude towards the Headmaster, taking points away and threatening a detention if he didn't curb his tongue and disrespect to them both. That speech was immediately followed by points being given for standing up for a fellow student and the promise that she knew nothing about why He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have come after him. The end result had Harry coming away feeling as confused as the obviously conflicted Scotswoman was.

Professor Flitwick had torn into the Ravenclaws and their House points were halved by the time his meeting with them was over. Prefect duties were reassigned, Ravenclaw library privileges revoked and the diminutive Professor warned the shocked students that he would stand in as champion to defend Luna's honour. The threat of facing their Head of House in a duel was the final nail in the bullies' coffins and Luna Lovegood became the safest Ravenclaw in centuries.

He also gave Harry points in one of their evening talks and once more reiterated how goblin-like the boy was.

Snape was conflicted. It seemed that the most feared member of the faculty was constantly on the verge of saying something until his jaw clenched and he would look away, moving on to a target to harass.

Professor Spout had given Harry a not-so cryptic carte blanche to do all in his power to protect her Hufflepuffs if they ever found themselves in trouble. The morning before Halloween saw her take a surprised Neville on a Diagon Alley field trip.

"I can't believe you did that." Neville said for the fourth or fifth time since he had returned with his new wand; Thirteen inches, cherry with a unicorn hair as a core.

"Can't believe it as in you're happy. Or can't believe it as in you're upset?" Tonks smirked. It was the same question she had asked each time and the stunned boy had still not answered.

"I can't believe you did that." Neville said again for the fifth or sixth time as he stare down at his new possession.

"Can't believe it as in..."

"Please!" Hermione groaned, slamming her head onto the table in protest. The hard thump of contact had some of them wincing in sympathy. "Enough, I'm begging you."

Their large group sat in the library, half doing homework and half enjoying spending time together before the big arrival of the other schools. Harry sent Tonks a smirk.

"You know what I can't believe?" He said with faux innocence.

"You can't believe." Daphne supplied.

"That you did that." Susan continued.

"But can't you believe it..." Tracey grinned.

"As in you're happy?" Hannah finished off. "Or as in you're upset?"

Hermione's louder groans sent the table into laughter and giggles that caused Neville to turn an interesting shade.

To the surprise of all, the double friendship of Daphne-Tracey and Susan-Hannah had merged seamlessly together. Their duo groups swapping members as the whim took them and each combination felt as natural as the others.

"I wish we had somewhere else we could go." Tracy groused when Madam Pince glared at their group. From the furious gaze it was obvious they were about to be kicked out.

Harry shared a look with Neville and then Tonks. The Longbottom Scion nodded, as did she, and he gave a pure Marauder grin at the others.

"How would you girls like to see a magic trick?"

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The evening saw the human inhabitants of Hogwarts standing outside the castle in readiness for the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang finest. Harry didn't like the waiting. It allowed the doubts and questions about himself to rise back up and threatened to drown him in their dark thoughts.

He wasn't happy with the idea of being a girl. Merlin be damned, he had only got comfortable in his body as a boy in the past few months! Yet this clashed with the happiness that came at thought of being Sirius' child, whatever the sex. Of actually having a living, breathing parent. The love that had grown between the two had the potential to be even stronger if his guess was true. Yet if it was, did that mean Sirius and his mum had an affair? Was the friendship with James a sham or was it the result of a drunken night that they used magic to hide?

Harry swung from utter joy to wild panic and despair and back again with frightening speed. It was only the continuing Occlumency training, along with his years of being able to hide his inner emotions, that kept anyone from knowing the depths of his turmoil. That Sirius and Remus would be back in Hogsmeade the next night didn't improve his anxiety as much as he would have hoped.

Harry's mood was made worse by how well he was able to hide his emotions from his friends old and new. Neville had seemed to pick up that there was something amiss but his almost-brother's shy nature kept him from speaking up about it. The rest were completely fooled and Harry knew that he would have to disappear and sulk somewhere for Hermione to take notice. It was left to Tonks... _Natalia_ he reminded himself...to stick by his side.

"Weasley, straighten your hat." Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. The nervous teacher then spotted something gaudy Parvati had put on. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

The familiar voice had pulled Harry from his thoughts. His friends surrounded him, ignoring the separation of Houses that the rest of the students were in. Dumbledore had given him a searching, displeased look but remained silent on the matter. Harry had rolled his eyes and, not for the first time, wondered if the Headmaster enjoyed the fractures keeping the students apart.

"How do you think they'll come?" Susan asked, looking everywhere for signs of the visitors approach.

"Uniquely." Daphne answered in a no-nonsense tone. They all looked her way and she gave her put-upon sigh. "They're visiting a different school in a different country. It's a tournament pitting all three against each other so naturally they'll want to make an impact from the get-go."

"Slytherin." Harry nodded with a smile. "Makes you wonder if Hogwarts would end up barging into their schools through the front entrance."

"Like foolish Gryffindors."

"Hey!" Hermione mock outrage at being called foolish and the rest of their group laughed.

"Gotcha." Harry quietly exclaimed. The others heard and he subtly guided their gazes to the black speck coming over the Forbidden Forest.

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" Dumbledore spoke up a few minutes later.

As the dark shape got nearer it was spotted by more of the crowd and guesses were shouted out as to what it was. An over enthusiastic first year bookworm shouted out "Azathoth!" and had the misfortune to be standing beside Luna. The poor kid was then given a brief lecture on how misunderstood the cosmic horror was and how much it enjoyed swiping her pudding.

Harry was only partly sure she was joking. He was completely sure the boy was going to have nightmares.

The shape ended up being a huge horse-drawn carriage. The horses were elephant sized and winged, and the sight caught Harry's imagination as he day-dreamed of being able to fly as purely as they could. His thoughts kept him from taking in the landing of the giant building and he needed an elbow from Tonks to bring him back from the clouds.

The startled crowd watched as a woman as large as Hagrid stepped out of the carriage. Dumbledore clapped her appearance and Hogwarts quickly followed suit.

"My dear Madame Maxime." Dumbledore smiled up at the woman, taking her hand in a formal bow and kiss. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dort." Was the deep, heavily French accented reply. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, thank you."

The Beauxbatons students disembarked and immediately began shivering in their silk robes. Madame Maxime asked about the care of the giant horses and Dumbledore promised that they would be well cared for.

"Very well. Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"Nice choice." Tracey noted and Susan nodded her agreement. Her auntie always enjoyed a glass after an especially stressful day at work.

"Has Karkaroff arrived yet?"

Harry hissed at the name and his body tensed, a small pulse of magic flexed in the air around him.

"Harry?" Hermione's worried gaze caught his.

"Death Eater." Harry growled.

 _I tell you, Pup, Antonin Dolohov was as bad as Bella. No one wanted to get caught in a duel with either of them. My cousin might kill you viciously. Morgana, she'd even play with you before you died. But Dolohov? Dolohov would throw curses that kept you alive. You'd be in agony, unable to leave, slowly dying and still he'd curse you again so that you'd scream. He had this partner, Igor Karkaroff, an all muscle, brute- force coward. You always wanted to get Karkaroff and hated yourself when you did because that meant someone else was having to fight Dolohov. Fight and likely die to the monster._

Harry pulled himself free of the memory and found his palms hurting. He looked down and saw nail marks from where he had dug them into his skin. A present legacy from remembering the past anguish in Padfoot's eyes.

His friends had closed ranks around Harry at the declaration, supporting him against a perceived threat. Someone shouted about the Lake and all eyes turned to watch the slow appearance of a pole rising from the depths.

"It's a mast!" Hermione cried out in surprise.

The anaemic looking ship rose from the waters and Harry was reminded of reading a book at school about a ghost ship that sailed the seas. _The Floating Dutch-hound_ or something. Harry only partly watched the students depart, instead his focus was on the silver furred, silver haired man moving towards Dumbledore.

"Harry!" Neville's frantic whispering startled him and Harry looked sheepishly towards his friend. "You were _hissing_!"

"Sorry." He mumbled.

It was time for everyone to get back into the castle and Harry was never happier to take his seat. Ron had ended up sitting opposite and Harry saw his sometimes friend's eyes light up in surprise.

"Harry, it's Krum!" He said in glee, bouncing in his seat with glee. The name tickled Harry's thoughts but he couldn't place it. "It's Krum!"

"For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player." Hermione snapped and Harry blinked at finally putting an identity to the name.

 _Has it only been a couple of months?_ He asked himself. Harry had forced a lot into the small amount of time since the World Cup and remembering the name of a Quidditch player, even in international one, wasn't as important as it might have been. That change alone proved to Harry how much he had changed.

Dumbledore welcomed the visitors and invited everyone to eat. Harry could only picked at his food, oblivious to the worried looks his friends were giving him. He kept looking over at the chatting Karkaroff; The man who had stood by while Dolohov destroyed the lives of who knew how many good people. The man who stood by while Dolohov put that look of horror in Sirius' eyes.

Harry's fingers were beginning to press hard around the knife he held and he had images of racing up to the Death Eater and driving it into the exposed throat when a voice cut through the murderous rage.

"Excuse me, are you finished with ze bouillabaisse?"

Harry caught the glazed, gapping look of Ron as he turned to see where the soft voice came from. Standing behind him was a girl of silvery-blonde hair that hung to her waist and the deepest set of blue eyes Harry had ever seen.

"Have at it." He told her, his pleasant mask fixed firmly in place. "All done."

Harry turned back to his meal, not noticing the look of the others at his casual dismissal of the girl.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?"

"Guys?" Harry asked around and nodded when none of them said anything. "Yep, all done."

The girl carefully leaned over him to get the food, her long hair brushing the side of his neck and Harry caught a faint scent in a non-existent breeze. It seemed familiar somehow but he couldn't play it and mentally shrugged, ignoring it and the girl. He was focused instead on finishing his warm pie before the feast was over.

"Veela..." Ron moaned. Harry looked up and frowned at the glazed look on the boy's face and then turned to watch the girl return to the Ravenclaw table. It was then he finally noticed the large number of eyes that followed her.

"Huh." He mused, finally recognising the imaginary scent as similar to what he'd felt at the World Cup. "Interesting."

"Interesting, Harry?" Tonks asked with a bit of steel lacing the tease.

"They don't bother you?" Neville was even more impressed with his friend.

"Not really, Nev." He shrugged. "Yes, interesting, Nat. Think about it, a beautiful girl who is able to attract the attention of lots of males but can turn...beaky?..birdy?...what's the word I'm looking for 'Mione?"

"Avian." She supplied though she too was studying him in curiosity.

"Avian, thank you. They turn...avian...and throw fireballs. The balance between the two is interesting."

Neville stared at Harry in confusion. Harry took the last scoop of his pie before pointing the sticky spoon in his friend's direction.

"Everyone had a dark side." Harry explained with passion. "You have some people who enjoy it like..."

"Like Malfoy." Ron growled immediately and Harry blinked. _Not the name I would have said._

"Yes." Harry said, elongating the word until the word until it almost lost meaning. "Then you have people who hide from it, bury it deeply. Some succeed, some don't."

"Like politicians?" Tonks helpfully beamed. Harry thought about it and the image of Fudge was too easy to bring up for him to do anything but nod in agreement.

"Right. But most of us? We have to deal with balancing that other side of us every day. That a Veela's struggle is also something that appears in a physical way? That's interesting."

"That's actually quite perceptive, Harry." Hermione blinked in surprise.

"And Dark." Ron added around a mouthful of food.

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly at their comments. He wasn't sure which annoyed him more, that Hermione was still shocked when he came out with an intelligent comment or Ron's attitude.

 _Hermione's._ He answered himself.

Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch had joined the school officials at the top table. Dumbledore introduced the Ministry workers and then had Filch bring out a heavily jewelled casket.

"As you know, three Champions compete in the competition, one from each school." Dumbledore spoke to the eager crowd. "They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the Champion with the highest total after the third task will win the Tri-Wizard cup. The Champions will be chosen by an impartial selector. The Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore pulled from the casket a large wooden cup that was alight with blue flames. All eyes focused on the cup as it was carefully placed on top of the casket.

"Anyone wishing to submit themselves as Champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the Goblet. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy."

Harry tuned the rest of the speech out. _An Age Line? Really?_ He groaned when he heard Dumbledore's grand protections and buried his head in his arms. It didn't take much for Tonks and Neville to guess at his thoughts.

When the Hall was dismissed Harry did his best to get away, craving space from all the inevitable Tournament talk. His exit was blocked by the Durmstrang contingent and he found himself side by side with Karkaroff.

The visiting Headmaster stopped and stared at Harry, his eyes flicking up to the famous scar. Harry found himself smiling a tight, predatory smile that was more teeth than humour.

"It's me." His voice rumbled with barely restrained aggression. "And I know _what_ you are too."

The Professor's face blanched, the fear growing more prominent at the sound of a gruff voice behind them.

"Keep moving, Karkaroff." Moody glared unblinkingly. "I doubt you really want to be speaking to Potter."

Karkaroff swallowed once then stormed out of the Hall, quickly followed by his students. Moody watched him go then turned the magical eye onto Harry.

"How'd you know, Potter?" The teacher eyed him suspiciously.

"A voice from the past." Harry walked away before the teacher could ask anything else. The sooner Sirius was back, the better he would feel. Maybe?

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _31st October, 1994._

That morning the Marauders confirmed their arrival at Hogsmeade, making a home for themselves in a cave Sirius knew of. Moony had argued that it was too dangerous for Harry to use the Whomping Willow with the visiting schools taking up much of the castle's front grounds. With the use of the tent, staying in a dark, damp cave wasn't exactly the discomfort it had been for Sirius the previous year.

Harry suspected that the visiting schools were only part of the reason for Remus' suggestion. He doubted there were _that_ many good memories to the Shack for the werewolf.

He had pushed for information over where they had been but all they'd tell him was that they'd been busy with Gringotts. Sirius' secretive answers did nothing to help Harry's insecurities.

The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan did their best to get around the Age Line and ended up with impressive beards for their trouble. Harry did his best to fake his laughter at the escapade but wasn't sure how successful the attempt had been.

As far as he was concerned the feast took far too long to be done with. Time and again he would run an agitated hand through his hair, messing it up even more than its usual state. His friends watched on with worry, even those at different tables kept shooting him nervous looks, and more than once a slight magical breeze would seem to pick up in the Hall only to vanish once someone caught Harry's attention. The rest of the Gryffindors picked up on his nerves and curious questions flowed up and down the table throughout the meal.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision." Dumbledore spoke up and Harry quickly reached into his robe to tap out a special rhythm on his mirror's surface. The sequence would signal Sirius' mirror and open up a muted connection that allowed both Marauders to listen in without any sound on their end leaking through.

"Now, when the Champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall and go into the next chamber."

The flames turned a dark red and, with a _whoosh,_ a charred piece of parchment shot into the air. Dumbledore deftly caught it and read out:

"The Champion for Durmstrang will be...Viktor Krum!"

The Hall exploded into loud applause as Krum rose from the Slytherin table and walked calmly along the route that had been indicated. The Goblet seemed to know the moment he left the Hall as it shot out its second name the instant the side door was closed.

"The Champion for Beauxbatons will be...Fleur Delacour!"

This time the applause was slightly more subdued. Most of the boys clapped their hardest, no doubt fuelled by their hormones, but the overall effect lacked the aid of many of the girls. In fact most of the female Beauxbatons contingent gave only the most cordial of claps as they were too busy with their tears.

He held his breath as the Goblet gave up its third name.

"The Champion for Hogwarts will be...Cedric Diggory!"

Harry released an explosive breath and he collapsed in his seat, even managing a weak smile at the huge wave of noise coming from the Hufflepuffs. He was glad for the misunderstood House and would be supporting his fellow student as strongly as any Puff. Neville and Hermione sent each other a relieved look while Tonks closed her eyes in a thankful prayer.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore loudly proclaimed above the noise, clapping his hands together to restore order. "We now have our three Champions and I am sure I can count on all of you to give your Champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your Champion on..."

It was with dread that Harry realised the Goblet had failed to go out and his stomach twisted until he was almost sick at what it could mean. When the Goblet spat out a fourth piece of parchment Hermione, sitting right beside him, could hear his chanting of "No. No. No. No." as it drifted down to be caught by Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter."

Harry snapped.

It was too much for the young man. The constant build up of nerves in fear of this exact moment and the stress from his run-ins with Dumbledore smashed together with the conflicting emotions he felt at possibly being Sirius' _daughter._ It all came together in that moment as he realised he had been let down once more by those who were supposed to protect him.

The emotions ripped through Harry's Occlumency shields, snapping his hard-worn control, and he slammed a hand down onto the table. The impact sent a pulse of magic left and right to lift everything two inches off the wooden surface. The slap of skin meeting wood was followed by the deafening cacophony of noise when cutlery, plates and bowls landed.

"You senile, demented old bastard!" Harry roared before breaking out into a long string of Parseltongue swearing that had most of the Hall shivering from the vicious sound.

"Mister Potter!" Professor McGonagall shouted, outrage and shock marking her features. "Enough is enough. That's thirty points from..."

"Professor McGonagall!" Harry shouted back. He stood and stepped away from the table, his magic wrapping around his body like a cloak so that it rippled in the air. His eyes were ablaze with fury and Hermione's fuzzy hair crackled with stray static charges. The rest of the Hall watched in absolute shock at what was unfolding. "Did I not warn you? Did I not swear to the five of you that I wanted nothing to do with this Tournament except be a spectator?"

"Harry, my boy, this isn't the time to..."

"No, Dumbledore, this is exactly the time." Harry snarled. A cold breeze tickled the ankles of the students as his magic built up. "This is the perfect place. You see, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we have a problem here. You already have a Champion and his name is Cedric Diggory. Three schools, three Champions. So how is it my name came out?"

"Harry, if you'd only go through to the chamber..." Dumbledore tried to regain control but Harry was too into his flow to stop. Everyone else was speechless in watching the show though, if they were quick enough, they would have seen a proud look on Flitwick's face.

"Two years ago. Two years ago to the day this school starting believing that I was the heir of Slytherin and that I released Slytherin's beast. Not one teacher stopped those rumours."

"Mister Potter, that will be enough!" Dumbledore's voice rose, his own control breaking at what Harry was saying. Harry merely smirked and Dumbledore froze, seeing Riddle instead of the real boy who stood defiantly against him.

"Well I will not be treated in such a manner again. I, Harry James Potter, your bloody _Boy-who-lived_." Harry spat the last title, showing his clear disgust at it and Snape lowed his head in part-mutual pain at what it had cost to earn. "Scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, swear by Word and Magic, here and now, that I did not enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament. So I swear, so mote it be!"

The oath sent a pulse of magic out into the Hall and all felt it in their bones.

"Or are we really saying that I, a fourteen year-old student, was able to get past a spell performed by the great Albus bloody Dumbledore?"

The two stared at each other, a battle of wills that had everyone watching holding their breath. Dumbledore couldn't believe what Harry had done, the show of defiance and magic would turn heads and bring those looking for power swarming to Harry's side like moths to a flame. There was only one thing he could say to get the situation under some type of control.

"Your name came out of the Goblet, Harry." He said coldly. "It's a magically binding contract between you and it, you'll lose your magic or even die if you don't compete."

"Take a listen, Hogwarts. They never told you _that_ last night, did they?" The feral grin spread slowly across Harry's face and there was more than a hint of insanity in it.

Harry stormed from the Hall into the side chamber to leave a suffocating silence. Scion Potter had thrown down the gauntlet and given everyone fair warning that the past was not to be repeated. Almost no one wanted to see what would happen if it was.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

"What is it?" The French girl, Fleur, said as Harry entered the room. Harry absently realised it was the same one who had come to his table earlier. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

"No." His voice was empty, devoid of emotion after the draining release in the Hall. "Someone screwed up and I'm the fourth Champion."

"Vhat do you mean?" Krum snapped, his strong arms folding over his chest. "This some type of joke?"

"I'm sorry, Cedric." Harry ignored the other two, instead focusing on his fellow Hogwarts member as a crowd eventually entered behind him. "You're our Champion and I'm doing this under protest."

"Absolutely extraordinary!" Bagman declared, clapping his hands together like a kid at Christmas. "This is incredible."

Harry glared at the former Quidditch star, the emptiness he was feeling already beginning to be filled by his never-ending anger. _Idiot_. Harry thought.

"'E cannot complete, 'e is too young." Fleur demanded, sending Harry a contemptuous glare.

Harry was in no mood to deal with the Little Flower's attitude and immediately stepped into her personal space. There was a rustle of unease behind him that Harry ignored to focus on the older girl.

"Take a look in my eyes, girl." He growled. "Take a hard look and tell me I'm too young."

Harry released the tight hold he kept on himself. He let free the scars of every spirit crushing moment of his time with the Dursleys and the life-threatening experiences that had continued since he entered Hogwarts. They filled his eyes to where Fleur found herself unable to look away from the depth of experience, pain and refusal to break the Avada orbs possessed. The life behind them held her pinned like a trapped butterfly until he blinked and there was nothing more than an angry glare staring up at her.

She turned away from Harry and swallowed hard, bile rising at what she had caught a glimpse of. Weakly she shook her head, the silver hair falling in front of her face to hide the dropping tears.

"Non. Non, you are not too young. _Merde._ "

"So, Mr. Bagman." Harry turned with a sneer that made Snape proud. "I take from your excitement that this circus is going to continue? That the Headmaster was right and we're all involved in a magically binding, potentially lethal contract?"

The other Champions exploded with shouts and demands for answers at Harry's little 'slip'.

All three Headmasters turned pale at the information being leaked and Snape fought to keep his own smirk under control at the Slytherin nature Potter was showing.

"Mister Potter, you will apologise to the Headmaster for your words." Professor McGonagall fumed, cutting across the irate teenagers. "I've warned you about such public disrespect and you will be serving detention..."

"Why?" Harry interrupted with a bored tone. He was getting tired of her indecision over how to treat him. "Did I lie? Did any of you keep the sheep from trying to tear me down two years ago? Did the esteemed Headmaster not say that no one would be able to get their name in the Goblet unless they were of age?"

Her mouth snapped shut. McGonagall was troubled. She couldn't refute anything Harry had said yet she was a teacher, the Deputy-Headmistress, and she couldn't let one of her Gryffindors run amuck the way Harry appeared to be doing.

"How can Hogwarts have two Champions?" Karkaroff demanded, bringing the subject back to what he felt was important. "This is most irregular!"

"It doesn't." Harry told the room as he moved into a far corner and leaned against the slightly warm wall, closing his eyes to rebuild his mental control. "There is only one Hogwarts Champion and his name is Cedric Diggory. If I have to do this, I do it on my own."

Harry zoned them all out as he took one deep, barely soothing breath after another. Eventually the silence was broken by a familiar drawing voice.

"Mister Potter, regardless of his propensity to break rules, clearly proved by his oath that this is not his doing." While not a ringing endorsement, Snape's words were shocking enough to cause both Dumbledore and McGonagall to give the black-clad teacher a sharp look. Harry merely gave a thin smile. "So can we get on with this? Some of us have important work to do."

"Quite right, quite right," Bagman declared, trying for all the world to get the passion back into the moment. "Well Barty? What say you?"

"We must follow the rules." Mr. Crouch told the waiting room from his own shadowed corner. "And the rules clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."

"Convenient," said a new voice from the door. Moody limped in with his scowl more pronounced than ever. "Someone puts Potter's name in the Goblet, knowing that it'll come out, and knowing he'll have to compete when it does."

"Alastor?" Dumbledore asked.

"Exceptionally strong _Confundus_ Charm." The retired Auror speculated, his magic eye never once moving from Karkaroff. "Made the Goblet forget there's only supposed to be three schools then entered Potter's name under the fourth."

"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody." The other man coldly said, eyes narrowing. "Very ingenious."

"It's my job to think the way Dark Wizards do. You ought to remember that, Karkaroff."

"Enough." Dumbledore demanded, looking sternly at everyone there. He was still shaken by Harry besting him in a clash of wills and wanted the evening over with so that he could assess his next move. "Barty has told us that there is nothing we can do so we must press on."

"Excellent!" Bagman jumped in, rubbing his hands with glee. Harry was reminded of the way his uncle Vernon would get when a big deal would come up at work. "Got to give our Champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, care to do the honours?"

"Of course," Crouch said, stepping into the light. Harry thought the man was ready to collapse were he stood and that Sirius had looked better the first time they had met. "The first task is to test your daring. Courage in the face of the unknown. The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth. The Champions are not permitted to ask for or accept any help of any kind from their teachers and will face the challenge armed only with their wands.

"The information on the second task will be given when the first is over and owing to the nature of the tournament, the Champions are exempt from end-of-year tests."

The group quickly broke up with the foreign teachers taking their students off in mutual huffs. When it was only the Hogwarts contingent remaining Harry spoke up.

"Cedric, I made an oath out there that I didn't do this." He explained, hoping the other boy would believe him. "There are going to be some idiots who still think I did but I want you to know I'll be supporting you. You're the Hogwarts Champion and you deserve this."

"I...thank you, Harry." The Hufflepuff replied though there was obvious uncertainty in his reply. Harry mentally sighed and shrugged, Cedric would believe what he wanted.

"Well, Mister Diggory." Dumbledore said. "I think you best be off, I'm sure your House mates are going to be wanting to celebrate with you."

Cedric nodded and left to leave Harry alone with the teachers.

"Harry, would you care to tell me why you thought you would be entered?"

"Quirrell. Basilisk. Dementors." He coldly listed off each one off on a finger. "The question is; if I survive this year, what life-threatening event trumps the Tri-Wizard Tournament for next year?"

"Ah, yes." Dumbledore nodded and then proceeded to ignore the question. "I do wish you hadn't brought up your second year."

"I can see why." Harry scoffed with a roll of eyes. "Teachers allowing an entire school to ostracise a student is bad PR for visiting officials."

"Potter!" McGonagall snapped at him only for Harry to turn his ire to the Scotswoman once more.

"Professor McGonagall!" He snarled. "Would you allow it to happen again? If the school ignores what I said out there, will you stand up and tell them they're all idiots? Or will you let them think I stabbed one of their own in the back?"

" _Their_ own?" Snape inquired, an eyebrow expertly raising.

"Of course. They'd much rather pretend I wasn't one of them than stop acting like sheep and following the herd. I said that if I have to do this then it'll be on my own and I meant it. I won't be representing Hogwarts in this cursed Tournament."

Harry shook his head in exasperation and not for the first time wondered about what his life would have been like sorted into Slytherin. Snape might have been a bastard but at least he wouldn't have been as hands off as McGonagall had been.

"I'm off to see which way the Gryffindor mindless are bleating," he told them. "Goodnight, Professors."

The teachers stared at the boy as he marched, head held high, out of the chamber. McGonagall felt equal parts shame and anger at once again being dressed down by her cub. Yet again she was reminded how much she had let him down since his re-entry into the Wizarding world and cursed herself for being unable to break her habits. Every time she made some progress with Harry she seemed to slip up and ignore whatever he was saying because of _how_ he was saying it.

Snape contemplated the shift in the boy and was beginning to see the makings of a powerful figure that would have made his House proud. That his attitude was moving ever more towards an adult Lily's also helped Snape look past the outer shell.

"I fear for Mister Potter." Dumbledore broke through their thoughts. "He has been acting far too out of character since his time with Sirius."

"Albus, stop this!" McGonagall gave her boss a scathing look though her words contained a trace of doubt. "You can't think Sirius has turned him Dark."

"No, no," Dumbledore denied though it sounded false to Snape's ears. "But this would not be how young Harry would have reacted last year."

"And that's a problem?" Snape asked in a bored tone, surprising them both once again. "His disrespect notwithstanding, he took on the Hall like a Slytherin. No one will be able to think he is doing this because he wants to without looking like an idiot."

"I can't believe this is you saying so, Severus." His Quidditch rival commented. "I was sure you'd be blaming him for this."

"Mister Potter and I...He is not the boy I believed him to be." Snape explained and looked at his co-workers. "And perhaps that is the problem. You would both be wise not to look for the Potter-boy who left Hogwarts last year. I don't believe he exists any more."

With that the Potions Master left, leaving behind a worried teacher and a very pensive Headmaster.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Harry was in a daze once he entered the Great Hall. For all his poise and bravado in dealing with the mess, he was still a scared fourteen year-old who had far too much going on inside himself. He barely managed to find a classroom before he lost control.

The stone walls reverberated with his harrowing scream of impotent rage. A cold wind swirled around him to cause the chairs to stumble onto the floor. Before his anger and magic could get too out of control Harry felt a harsh vibration in his pocket.

 _Sirius._ He realised.

When the connection on the mirror cleared the Animagus Marauder wasn't staring into the clear Avada eyes of Lily but instead a pair of laurel green ones that haunted his dreams.

"Harry?" Sirius fearfully asked.

Harry shook his head to clear it from the pressure pushing from the inside and, when his eyes opened, they were their natural colour once more.

"You heard all that." He sighed with exhaustion, sliding down a wall to collapse on the floor. "For a moment there, Sirius, I really thought we were wrong. I really thought I'd be okay."

"You will be, Pup. I promise." Sirius' heart was breaking at the lost look on his godson's face. "Listen, use the Honeydukes tunnel and Dobby will meet you once you're outside of the wards. He'll bring you to us, okay?"

Harry could only nod. He numbly made his way to the one-eyed witch statue and slid through the opening, taking the walk slowly. His thoughts were going faster than his Firebolt could fly yet he was unable to keep hold of any of them.

The end of the ward line arrived and an elf waited. Except it wasn't an elf Harry recognised.

"Kreacher's Half-blood be put in danger by evil wizards." The elf snarled, furious at the situation. "Kreacher's Nasty Master and Nasty Master's wolf going to make it so Kreacher's Half-blood be kept safe."

Harry blinked at the younger looking elf and blinked again to see if the elf reverted back to the way he used to be. He hadn't. With a heavy sigh and a pinch of his noise, Harry had to ask the question.

"What happened to you, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher's Half-blood!" The elf beamed, showing as much teeth as a happy goblin would. "Half-blood has power as great as any of House Black. Half-blood make Kreacher strong again, Half-blood make House Black strong again."

"That _Book_ has a lot to answer for." Harry groused only for the elf to glare.

"Nasty Master say the same. Kreacher say _Book_ best thing to happen to Kreacher's Half-blood."

Harry had nothing to say to that and let the elf take his arm. A silent pop later and Harry was standing in the familiar tent looking at the two remaining Marauders.

Sirius was in his usual chair, a full glass of Firewhiskey sitting on the table beside a half-empty bottle. Remus had taken a chair beside his friend and they both quickly rose when he saw Harry.

The hug between Harry and Sirius was filled with lost years and future promises. The fears that had been building inside Harry about his dreams, the suspicions, and then the Tournament uncoiled inside his godfather's arms. In his Family's arms. The tears came easy for both and for a while they simply held each other.

The hug with Remus wasn't as emotional nor as long but there was a connection in it that had been lacking when the werewolf had been his teacher.

"Professor Lupin, it's good to see you again."

"Remus, Harry. I'm not your professor any more." Remus reminded him. "Or even Moony if you're okay with it."

Harry gave a warm smile and nod when they pulled apart and then dropped into his favourite chair. It was already facing theirs. With a frantic drag of fingers through his hair, Harry focused on the immediate problem.

"Who's the girl, Sirius? The one from my dreams."

"Dreams?" Padfoot paled, shocked at the question. "As in, more than one?"

At Harry's nod and description of seeing the Mirror of Erised, Sirius' colour took a worse turn. He grabbed his drink and knocked the glass back in one hit, immediately topping it up again. Remus looked on with concern, his long fingers crossed into a double-fist.

"You're not an idiot, Pup." Sirius Black answered, giving Harry the benefit of eye contact. "You've got ideas about who she is."

Harry swallowed hard and wished he had his own glass of Firewhiskey to knock back. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, his palms rubbing over his knees from having to face the truth.

"How?" Harry demanded. "Why?"

"The why is simple. Love." At Harry's dirty look Sirius quickly held up his hands in peace. "I don't mean it like that. There was never an affair, I promise.

"It started in late '78." Sirius sighed, his eyes lost focus and Harry felt the pain of so many years weigh down on the man who had come to mean so much to him. "We were in a fight with some Death Eaters. There was an anti-apparition ward up and Lily was doing her thing to bring it down while James and I protected her. Spells were flying everywhere but we were holding our own, we had confidence in each other that we'd get out alive. That's when _he_ showed up. Your mum didn't bat an eyelid, Pup. There was every chance we were about to die yet she kept working. Bravest thing I've ever seen. She brought down the ward down so we could Apparated out."

Sirius rubbed his hands over his face, as if trying to scrub the memory clean, but that was the legacy of the past. It never left you.

"As we were Disapparating she was hit by a curse. A terrible curse..."

"Dolohov." Harry guessed. No wonder Padfoot had spoken of the man with such hatred.

"I told you, you were smart." Sirius said with a small proud smile before turning morose once more as he continued. "She was screaming with pain when we got back to safety, holding her stomach as though something was eating her from the inside. I had to stop James from going back to take them all on single-handed."

"He was always like that." Remus added with a shake of the head. "Your mum only had at stub her toe on some furniture and he'd want to blow it up and buy something that was more 'respectful' to her."

The two men shared a look at the memories.

"We got her to a medi-witch but the pain had stopped." Sirius continued. "I can't tell you how many times James shouted at the woman to redo the scans because they kept coming up normal. It didn't make any sense yet there Lily was, perfectly healthy."

"But the curse?" Harry whispered, all too easily imagining the fear his father had felt.

"But the curse." Padfoot agreed with a jerky nod. He made to pick up the glass again but stopped at the last moment. "We found out what it was in early '79. Lily fell pregnant and the curse activated. It was some ancient Eastern European spell that attacked the father's magic inside a baby. It would slowly destroy the father's magic and force the mother's to compensate. At best, the mother miscarries. At worse...

"James refused once they found out. He refused to risk her for a chance to have a child without her." Harry was lost in the horrifying story. "He said: 'Better the Potter blood dies with me as an old man in your arms than watch you die for it to continue.' And as far as he or I knew, Lily accepted it."

There was a heavy silence and the tears burned down Sirius' cheeks. It was a story he had never wanted to speak, a secret he had willingly buried, yet there he was bringing it to light.

"You have to understand that no one apart from the three of us knew. The war carried on, there wasn't a need to tell anyone else, and then she came to us later in the year with an answer. An unbelievable, amazing and insane answer."

"Pads?" Moony was concerned with how Sirius was coping with reliving it all again.

"I'm okay, Moony." Sirius lied with shaky breath. "There's a very old, very illegal, adoption potion. A person taking it would then become the biological child of whoever's blood was in it. It could be used for a full adoption or a partial one, giving the child three parents if that's what's wanted."

"Is that what you did?" Harry asked. The pain that radiated from Sirius dwarfed the insecurities Harry had felt since his dream.

"It only works once the baby is born. So your wonderful mother took the idea and modified it." The Marauder paused with a shaky breath and then straighten his shoulders. Sirius knew Lily would kick his arse if he acted as if their actions were something to be ashamed of. "She changed it so that instead of both 'fathers' genetics and magic being balanced equally in the baby, one would be the dominant, the other's would be in the background."

Harry nodded. Through his shock he was still able to follow his mother's logic. "She found a way of switching which of your magics the curse attacked."

"That was the plan." Came the confession. "My genetics, my magic, would be attacked by the curse and then she would take something that switched James' into being the dominant one. Even if the curse started on his magic, you would be so far along that you'd both survive."

"Something went wrong." Harry whispered, barely comprehending the lengths the three people had gone to in order for him to be born.

"Something went very, very right!" Sirius corrected with a fire that was at odds with the tears. "It saved you both. She came out of it only slightly weaker than a normal pregnancy and you were born healthy and beautiful...And with the Black's natural metamorph ability."

"The girl." Harry swallowed past his dry throat.

"Like a coin, Harry." Remus told him, leaning forward so that Harry felt as though he was falling into the man's kind eyes. "Heads or tails, Cub, the coin is still the coin. You are still you."

"But I'm not!" He softly cried.

"You are! And you're not." Sirius admitted, reaching into a pocket to pulled out a vial full of vibrant blue liquid. He pressed it into Harry's clammy palm and closed his godson's fingers around it. "This potion will unlock your metamorph abilities and let you change. Let you pick whose genetics are dominant."

"Cub. Harry." Remus spoke softly when he saw the primal need to run in Harry's wide eyes. "You don't have to do this. This is an option, nothing more. At the end of this horrible Tournament, if you wanted to, you could vanish and become someone else. No one would find you. Or you could stay and continue as you are. It's your choice, it will always be your choice."

Harry tried processing what he had been told. He pushed past his initial revulsion, the traitorous thoughts of being a _no good Freak_ and really listened to what was said.

 _Break it down_. He told himself. He had the potential to be Lily and Sirius' child, to put the Boy-Who-Lived to bed and give up everything he hated about being Harry Potter. Okay it meant becoming a girl but he'd suspected something like that since the last dream. Was that really so bad? Could he handle it? And would it ignore the sacrifice of James Potter's life to make sure he lived? _And what of Sirius' sacrifice in Azkaban?_ His traitorous thoughts piped up.

Harry's fingers closed slowly over the vial.

"How do you know the potion will work?" Answers first. Decisions later. Maybe.

"Because I brewed it." Sirius told him. "The Blacks have a potion that locks a metamorph into their base form, it was used as punishment or to keep children under control. You were given that as a baby so you would always be Harry James Potter. What you're holding now is the antidote."

"And Gringotts?"

"Lily's plan. She demanded, without James knowing, that I make it official so that if there ever came a time that you needed a way of disappearing, you would have it." When Harry gave a suspicious glare, his godfather...part father?...shrugged. "I swear, those were her words."

"What would my name be?"

"If you did this, and Moony is right that it's all your choice, then you would become Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black. My daughter."

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oOoOo

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An exhausted and numb Harry eventually left the Marauders having decided to hold back on taking the potion. Both men were nervous of Harry's emotional state and didn't want him to go but strangely it was Kreacher who convinced them.

"Kreacher's Half-blood needs time and space." The elf had declared. "Kreacher be taking his Half-blood away if Nasty Master and Nasty Master's wolf not be stop arguing."

"You're not going to tell him?" Remus asked some time later, carefully sipping his own drink.

"Tell him what?"

"That you didn't give him the base potion when he was a baby." Remus' eyes bore into Sirius and the Child of Black turned away, unable to meet the knowing gaze. "You gave him the one that locks metamorphs into whatever form they're in at that time."

"I don't know what..."

"Lily put it in her journal." Moony cut off his friend. "You've not read her notes, Pads. She knew that there was no way the dominant genes would have been James'. James knew too. You gave up your own daughter for their happiness."

"I even suspect Harry knows this and I'll stuff you so full of silver you'll shine." Was the only response Sirius could make.

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	13. Master and Apprentice

**I have to say I was amazed at the warm reception of the last chapter. It really didn't feel like my best work yet you all seemed to love it so I thought I would give you a gift. This 8,717 chapter is actually what I took off the end of previous one. Yep, you would have had an almost 20K chapter otherwise!**

 **I promise you won't have to wait another 12 chapters before Harry takes the potion but he does need a little time to get used to the idea. Initially it was planned for the end of the year yet he refused to play ball and demanded I let him take it sooner.**

 **For those wondering about the name. Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black translates as The Dark Star in the Black Night. Melania (Black/Dark), Cassiopeia the constellation, Lilith from Lilitu (of the Night). The name was picked by Lily and Sirius accepted it because of how nice it sounded.**

 **desireejones99 - Here's the answer about the Sheep. Hope it doesn't disappoint.**

 **Raesicle - Glad to hear I've got you into a Fem!Harry story.**

 **Drithligh - Thanks for pointing out that "1996" typo. I changed it ages ago but forgot to update the actual chapter. As for the difference in Sirius, I see the end of book 3 as the defining point in his post-Azkaban life. Cannon sees him sneak off and focus on himself, letting others take care of Harry. Here he has decided to stick around and in doing so, grows a stronger backbone. I enjoyed reading your chapter reviews, thank you.**

* * *

Master and Apprentice

 _It is said that the great Merlin, Prince of Enchanters, came to the School of Hogwarts to learn from and teach the Four Founders. The truth is much darker._

 _Merlin's greatest enemy was Morgana Le Fay. She, of our blood, was born Morgan of the Raven's Claw and it was to her sister that Merlin came to study. He came as a predator hunting a potential prey and found a pack willing to defend one of its own._

 _For one of the other Founders was also of the blood. Once more the bonds between the two Families stood firm and Merlin became yet one more name to fall beneath the Legacy of Gwydion._

 _The Prince of Enchanters was forced to depart with his tail between his legs, unable to turn sister from sister. With the strength of the School and Salazar's honour as a shield, Rowena stayed safe. That is until she felt the last moments of her sister's life._

 _The pain Rowena experienced at the loss of Family brought eventual death to the fair lady. Merlin's hubris had brought about the downfall of both sisters and, in that moment, Salazar Slytherin swore vengeance upon the Light Wizard and all who followed his ways._

 _For those who dare strike down one of us who are of the blood shall know the wrath of all of us who are of the blood. So it has always been, so it shall always be **.**_

 **[ Extract from the _Potter Book_ ]**

 _31st October, 1994_

Dobby was still suspiciously absent and so it fell to Kreacher to take Harry back to the Honeydukes tunnel. The Boy-Who-Lived, and Girl-In-Secret, was too lost inside his own mind to question his missing friend.

"Kreacher's Half-blood will be fine." The grouchy elf told him once they were surrounded by dark walls.

Harry looked down at the now youthful member of House Black and sighed.

"Are you going to tell me that it doesn't matter?" He asked in a voice that clearly told his real opinion on _that_ attitude. "That whatever body I'm in, I'm still me?"

"Course not, silly Half-blood." Kreacher scoffed as though it was the dumbest suggestion he'd ever heard. "Kreacher knows secret. Kreacher knows truth."

"What truth, Kreacher?" Harry felt a connection to the elf in that moment. The small being was telling him what he thought, not what he felt Harry wanted to hear.

"Kreacher's Half-blood wears mask." The elf grinned evilly, enjoying being able to pass on his observations. "Since Kreacher got younger, Kreacher be watching Half-blood. Kreacher sees the mask, Kreacher watches the lies in Half-blood's eyes when he be with the others. Kreacher's Half-blood only show truth to mistress 'Dromada's hidden spawn."

"Wait, you know it's Tonks?" This wasn't good news. It was essential she remained a secret.

"Silly Half-blood." Kreacher shook his head in mock sadness at how little Harry knew. "Kreacher feels hidden spawn's Black blood. Can't hide a Black from a Black elf like Kreacher."

"And you're saying that I'm hiding myself?"

"Kreacher knows. Kreacher sees. Potter mask hurts Kreacher's Half-blood. Potter mask forces Kreacher's Half-blood into acting behind mask. But Kreacher sees real Half-blood, sees the truth. So Kreacher not worried." The elf shrugged and then released a cackle that made Harry shiver in unease. "When Half-blood ready, Half-blood get rid of mask and take House Black to where it should be. Kreacher knows, Kreacher help in honour of Kreacher's lost masters and mistresses. Oh yes, Kreacher help make all those who hurt House Black sorry for what they did to Kreacher's masters and mistresses."

The elf popped away leaving Harry with more questions than answers and a sense of confusion. Kreacher had seemed far too sure of himself for an ancient, half-crazed house-elf, and Harry was both comforted and horrified at what he had listened to.

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 _._

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 _Slytherin Common Room._

"That Mudblood lover has done it now." Malfoy sneered happily, leaning back in his personal chair to survey his 'domain'. "Potter won't get away with putting his name in the Goblet and I'm sure father will talking to the other governors soon to get him expelled."

"What are you day-dreaming about now, Malfoy?" Daphne Greengrass demanded in her most Ice Queen voice.

The Slytherin's were split since Harry's chance in attitude towards the green and silver House. Those who had befriended the Potter Scion stood proud while Malfoy and his band of blockheads wanted to turn everyone against them. The biggest group looked on with each clash, assessing and planning what was best for them if the Golden Boy really was open to a Slytherin alliance.

"Potter." Malfoy chuckled, completely unaware how little his opinion was shared after the events in the Great Hall. "I don't know how the blood traitor convinced someone to put his name in the Goblet but he's in trouble now."

"You're an idiot." Tracey stated. "He was pretty pissed off that his name came out and you can't fake that oath of his."

"He faked it." Malfoy demanded with a glare. "My father will get to the bottom of it and make sure he's brought to justice."

"Speaking of your father." The quiet voice of Theodore Nott said, cutting across the chatter. Nott wasn't one to throw his opinions out lightly within the Snake Pit so when he did, students listened. "I heard something interesting."

"What?" Draco's eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth twitched with nerves. "What are you mumbling about?"

"I heard Potter is looking to bring back the Old Ways and put your father on notice for his attitude."

"Don't you dare!" Draco rose from his 'throne' to face down the other boy. The younger Malfoy's fingers twitched as though preparing to reach for his wand. "That Mudblood lover has no say over my father!"

"You really believe that, don't you?" Daphne looked at the blond in amazement. _Everyone_ knew of the old bonds between the Potter and Black Houses. "You really think that little dressing-down at the World Cup meant nothing?"

"How did you know about that?!" Draco screeched, his Pure-blood facade breaking as he felt his hold over Slytherin House crumbling. "It doesn't mean anything! It was nothing but bluster and arrogance."

Greg Goyle and Vincent Crabbe stood dumbfounded behind their leader. They were used to controlling others with their bulk and physical threats, leaving the political stuff to Malfoy. That the entire Slytherin House seemed to be turning against him was something new to consider and they shared a thoughtful look. Slowly, so not to attract the attention of their once leader, they stepped away and out of his shadow for the first time.

The elder Slytherin duo of Adrian Pucey and Carl Montague observed as all true Slytherins were trained to. They had been impressed by the magic Potter had shown during the meal and had their interest caught by the obvious discord between the Golden Boy and Headmaster. The change in Professor Snape's attitude towards the Gryffindor had not gone unnoticed by his House, and the two boys hid identical smirks at how little Malfoy understood the changing tides.

"It means everything, Malfoy." Nott answered. "If Potter is calling you and your father up on your behaviour, it means he's looking to rebuild the Grey Alliance. Most of our families have history with them."

"And your families ran like cowards when the Dark Lord rose!" Draco snarled, pointing an aristocratic finger at each other them. "Greengrass, Davis, Zabini. Your Families abandoned that Alliance when the Dark Lord told you to and you'd better remember that when he returns. He won't forgive any of you for becoming Blood Traitors."

"Perhaps not, Draco." Daphne turned her nose up at him and gave a smirk that caused many males in the room to cross their legs in protection. "But the Malfoys won't be here to see that day if you don't learn to leave Scion Potter be."

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oOoOo

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 _Ravenclaw Tower_

"I can't believe that little shit!" Shrieked Cho Chang as the Ravenclaws filed into their Common Room. "After he gets us all in trouble, he has the nerve to find a way of entering himself in the Tournament."

"Whatcha on 'bout, girl?" Morag McDougal asked in her heavy Scottish accent. "Me mam always said to own up to me own faults and so should you. We got in trouble 'cause we shouldna been bullying little Luna an' Potter was right t' take her under his wing t' stop us."

Roger Davis looked around at his fellow Ravenclaws and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach at how split they seemed to be. He remembered too well how badly his House had treated Harry when everyone suspected he was Slytherin's heir. It had never sat right with him but he'd left it go, too afraid of being isolated the way Harry had been if he spoke up. That his House had been found to once again been bullying a student, one of their own no less, sickened him and he refused to let it happen for a third time.

"Are you Ravenclaws or are you not?" He demanded, his strong voice silencing all as they turned to listen. "This House is supposed to be of the Wise yet all I see are bullies and cowards. Harry gave a magical oath out there that it wasn't him, are you saying he found a way to lie to magic itself?"

"At last. A Ravenclaw who looks for the truth." Professor Flitwick spoke up from the door. The students all turned, various looks of shock on their faces as they realised they'd forgotten about their Head of House. "Mister Potter has spoken to me numerous times since the start of term and expressed his worry that someone would put his name in the Goblet. He gave an oath that it wasn't him. To show you all how silly any arguments are against him, I expect every Ravenclaw here to write me an essay on exactly what it means to give a magical oath and what happens if one is broken."

Chang hung her head in anger and embarrassment. She'd been shamed by her treatment of Luna and the declaration of the strange girl as being a Potter vassal. When Potter's name had come out as a fourth Champion she'd seen it as a way of getting back at the goodie two shoes. Now even that avenue had been taken away from her.

"I will not accept this House mistreating fellow students." Flitwick's words brokered no argument and gone was their fun-loving Head of House. "If I find anyone mistreating Mister Potter for this unfortunate situation then I will make the rest of your time at Hogwarts so bad you'll be begging your parents to place you elsewhere. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor!" Every student answered. In that moment they really were the House of the Wise.

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oOoOo

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 _Hufflepuff Common Room_

The Puffs were in a mixed mood when Cedric entered the Common Room. He didn't really mind, it matched his confused state.

He'd been so excited when his name had been called out. Cedric knew how proud his father would be at his becoming the Hogwarts Champion, and on a personal note felt it would bring something to his often ignored House. And then Harry had walked in declaring that he was the fourth name out of the Goblet! Talk about once more pushing the noble Hufflepuffs into the background.

If Harry had simply been his quiet self from previous years then Cedric would have felt only anger and disappointment at the Gryffindor Golden Boy for stealing the spotlight. But this new Harry had been venomous in his denials, facing off against even Dumbledore in refusing to be recognised as a Hogwarts Champion. Harry had even said he was rooting for him!

So it was that Cedric's anger had no place to go. He didn't want to believe Harry's denials, it would be easier if he didn't, but he really did.

The moment he walked through the entrance he was enveloped in a huge hug from Professor Sprout. She was beaming at him, a proud smile that only made Cedric's confusion worse.

"Congratulations, Mister Diggory!" His Head of House exclaimed. She stepped away from him so that the others could give their own words of encouragement though it was somewhat muted from the joyous noise when his name had been called.

"I'm proud of you, Cedric." Susan Bones said with an honest smile. Cedric frowned at the cute redhead.

"I thought you'd be cheering on Harry."

"I'm cheering him on so he gets through it." She explained and Hannah nodded enthusiastically next to her. "But he wouldn't want me to abandon my House-mate when the 'Puffs have something to cheer about."

"Exactly, my dear." Sprout agreed, giving the rest of the House a searching look. "Remember what I told you all. Mister Potter may very well be a fourth Champion but he is doing it under protest. He would not want to take anything away from us Hufflepuffs and in return we won't be making him feel bad about this unfortunate situation he is in. If you must, treat it as you would a Quidditch rivalry, but no more. We will not have a repeat of two years ago!"

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oOoOo

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 _Gryffindor Tower_

The Lions were silent for a good while once they returned to their den. Some wanted to celebrate that one of their own had slipped into the Tournament, whether he wanted to be in it or not wasn't important, while others understood that something bigger was at play.

"It was a good thing we didn't take him up on that bet, brother of mine." Fred said, breaking the stillness of the room.

"Absolutely, dear brother." George agreed with a sigh. "Though I'd much rather we had..."

"...and he'd been wrong. Indeed." Fred nodded, sharing the sadness his twin felt for their younger friend. "Someone really has it in for our ickle Harrikins."

"What?" Ron exclaimed in disbelief from his attempts at building a tower of exploding cards. No one had wanted to play him at chess and he was bored and angry at Harry getting all the attention. "You can't seriously believe all that?"

"What are you saying?" Katie Bell demanded in a tone that clearly stated the youngest male Weasley needed to be careful. Her slender arms wrapped around her waist to keep herself from throttling the annoying boy.

"Isn't it obvious?" McLaggen answered for Ron. "Potter put his name in the Goblet and is covering his arse."

"Exactly!" Ron stood to move into the middle of the room. As all eyes fell on him he felt himself growing at the attention. _This was more like it._ He thought as he waved towards McLaggen as though the arrogant snob had come out with a genius piece of intellect. "Harry wasn't even using his wand when he said the vow!"

"I don't care." Neville's surprisingly hard voice brokered now arguments from the intellectually endowed. The Longbottom Scion stood and glared down Ron and McLaggen, drawing the battle lines between those who would stand with Harry and those who wouldn't. "I know, Harry and he wouldn't do this. He didn't want this."

"Of course he does!" Ron screamed. "I'm his best mate..."

One bushy-haired and one hidden metamorph witch both scoffed at _that_ declaration.

"I know him better than anyone and he didn't even tell _me_ he was doing this! He's all about being the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived'. It's all about being in the spotlight for him."

The room exploded in noise at Ron's words, with a surprising number of misguided few agreeing with him while those who knew Harry roared their disgust at the characterisation.

A sharp, painful to the ears whistle, cut through the shouting and had everyone turn to its source. An exhausted looking Harry Potter stood at portrait entrance and to Tonks, he seemed to have aged years since she'd last seen him.

"No, it's all about what the Boy-Who-Lived does for _you_ , Weasley." Harry's cold voice seeped into their bodies and caused many to shiver at the sound. "You want what you think I have and hate it when none of it comes your way."

"Harry..." Neville tried to say only to drift off as the boy in question stalked forward. There was something primal to Harry in that moment. A wild and lost air that scared those who he passed on his way towards his nervous target.

"You want what I have so badly?" Harry continued without acknowledging anyone else. "Go into hiding. Your entire family on the run and put your faith in the wrong friend. Have your family betrayed and then killed in front of you. Ginny, George, Fred, Percy, cut down in an instant. Bill and Charlie slaughtered as they tried to help your parents escape."

Ron cringed and took a step back at each name, the emotional blows hitting him hard but it was not enough to quell the fire of his jealousy and anger.

The twins shared a painful look and glanced over to Ginny, the duo all too easily imagining the pain of losing their girl. Harry pushed on, driven by the need to purge himself after everything he had suffered through.

"Listen as your dad stays behind. One last line of defence to keep you and your mum alive." The tears began to fall for Neville as he knew that this was what his friend had been forced to relive so often last year with the Dementors. Tonks and Hermione weren't far behind in their reactions.

"You want to be the Boy-Who-Lived, Ronald? Sit and watch as your mum stands before Voldemort." The shiver of fear at the terrible name did nothing to dispel the pain that many of the students felt as they came to realise what Harry's life was actually like. "She stands there with nothing but her love for you as a shield, begging not for her life but _yours_. Watch her die, Weasley."

Harry had come to a stop in front of his ex-friend and raised a single finger. Ron watched it with fear, as though it was an Acromantula come to feast on him.

"Then take that exact same curse that kills her only to be left surviving. Take the curse that ends your entire family. Right. Here."

Harry's finger poked at the spot on Ron's forehead that the famous lightning scar resided on his own.

It's said that the slightly physical touch can send an argument from salvageable to deadly in seconds. Harry's poke caused Ron to explode and he lashed out with an attempted punch. Harry's reflexes were quicker and he had been expecting the reaction.

He blocked the weak swing and slammed a fist hard into Ron's stomach. The boy doubled over and Harry caught his ex-friend's robes.

"That's how you become the Boy-Who-Lived." Harry's voice never changed from its cold, emotionless tone as he pulled Ron up into his face. The room was silent as they watched the utter disintegration of the Gold Trio. "Be jealous of that, you prat, the next time you spend time with your family."

Harry released Ron, who collapsed to his knees in a desperate attempt for breath. "But you would have known all of that if you had actually decided to get know me."

"I know who you are." Ron wheezed as Harry turned towards the dorm stairs. "You're the boy who cries out at night for his mummy. A boy who hates small spaces and..."

Whatever Ron was about to add no one knew. Harry completely snapped and in one fluid move turned he turned and kicked the redhead hard in the jaw. People winced as they all heard the loud crack of a broken bone at the impact. Ron's cry of pain was silenced by Harry's foot being driven over and over into the exposed traitor's side.

"That's because I was abused, you fucking bastard!" Harry roared as he pummelled Ron. "Ten years in a fucking cupboard while you enjoyed the countryside with your fucking family!"

Ron tried desperately to curl into the fetal position to save himself but the kicks were coming too quickly. Harry had taken enough beatings from his cousin Dudley that he knew the timing was as important as the impacts in keeping the prey down.

The twins snapped out of their shock and quickly pulled Harry away from their useless brother, frantically whispering in their friend's ears.

"Easy, Harry..."

"We'll take care of our idiot brother..."

"You get some rest..."

Their words eventually broke through Harry's fury and he nodded that he was under control. The twins slowly released his arms and Harry stormed, back straight, up to his dorm without a look back. To their word, the twins picked up their damaged brother and headed towards the portrait opening. By the look on their face no one expect Ron to be heading straight to Pomfrey.

"And in case anyone decides to get vocal..." Fred told the stunned audience.

"...If that last part ever leaves this room..."

"..Then my brother and I will not rest until we find out who spoke out..."

"..And we will make your life hell."

No one doubted them. The look of fury on their faces was not something many Gryffindors had seen aimed their way but they knew what it meant. No one was foolish enough to go up against them _and_ Harry bloody Potter.

The twins took out the trash and Neville headed immediately up to the dorm, his concern for his brother in all but blood evident in every hurried step. Soon enough the buzz of conversation built up and Tonks took the opportunity to lean into Hermione.

"Why didn't you defend Harry?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione looked at her in confusion and Tonks could only sigh.

"You didn't say anything in his defence before Harry turned up."

"Neither did you." Hermione accused and Tonks shook her head at the girl.

"I've not been his friend for more than three years." She argued, heading to her own room. There was an emergency message that needed to be sent to her boss immediately. The shit was hitting the fan and poor Harry was in the middle of it.

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oOoOo

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 _1_ _st_ _November, 1994_

Harry decided to skip his run. Bleary eyed and physically spent after everything he had been through, he needed some time alone and went to a place he hadn't been to since his first year.

The tree overlooked the Black Lake and before the Halloween that had brought together the Golden Trio, Harry had spent most of his free time sitting beneath it with Hedwig. He had felt lost at sea during those early days, and the quiet time with his owl had allowed him a sense of peace that he was in desperate need for.

Dobby was happy to make Harry a small picnic breakfast and get things ready for an irate Hedwig. With her perch standing on the moist grass he released a low, trilling whistle that took Dobby's breath away. The sound made the house-elf feel as though he had been given the most precious gift, filling him with a sense of wonder and awe at the power inside the Great Harry Potter sir.

The majestic form of a snowy white owl swooped down from the skies to land on her familiar perch. She glared at her pet and hooted angrily at him.

"I know girl, I'm sorry." Harry apologised immediately. "I should have come to you sooner."

Hedwig turned her head around in annoyance and Harry sighed, leaning his head against the bark. He knew she wouldn't make it easy for him.

"Things have happened girl." He tried explaining. "I know I've been changing lately but something major's come up and I need my Hed."

Hedwig slowly turned her head back to face him, her brilliant eyes narrowed but Harry felt it was a good beginning. She was at least listening to him.

"I found out I might not really be me." He confessed, waving a hand over his body. "That this is all a lie."

She hooted with annoyance and Harry had to smile.

"You love me no matter what I looked like, huh?" At her enthusiastic bobble, Harry's smile widened. "I don't know what I would do without you girl."

She fluffed her feathers up in pride and swooped onto his waiting shoulder to nuzzle into his hair. In her own unique way she was telling him that he was being silly. Harry bathed in her silent, unquestionable love and it soothed some of his aches.

"I have something for you." He told her. When she hooted in question, he nodded to Dobby.

"Super crispy baconness for Master Harry Potter sirs Royal Owlness!" Dobby proclaimed with a snap of his fingers.

The perch vanished back to its storage in his trunk and was replaced with a plate filled with bacon. The pile would have made Ron Weasley proud and Hedwig took one look at it and hooted excitedly. She hopped down to the grass and looked up at Harry, love and forgiveness clear in her eyes, before beginning to devour the delicious food.

Hedwig was only half way through the pile when Harry saw Tonks making her way towards him. He found he had some type of smile for her though he wasn't sure where it came from.

"Morning, Nat." He greeted her, making sure to still her her undercover name. "Surprised to see you here without the others."

"Uh.." Tonks stared at the bacon devouring feathered goddess and only had one thought. _Only Harry._ "They're looking for you in the Room of Requirement."

"So how did you know where to find me?" He waved at the grass for her to sit and she did so after conjuring a warm rug to relax on.

"Auror level tracking spell on that wonderful map of yours." She confessed. At his raised eyebrow Tonks lowered her eyes in embarrassment. "I'm your unofficial bodyguard, Harry. I need to know where you are in case something happens."

Harry thought it over. The two sat in relative silence while Hedwig finished off her bacon orgy and slowly and carefully fluttered her way up to a branch so that she could sleep the banquet off. As he watched his first friend, Harry realised that he didn't mind Tonks keeping an eye on him.

"So why'd you send the others off to the Room?" He asked in a tone suggesting he didn't mind her deception.

"I'm worried, Harry." She confessed, sounding much more like someone of Harry's age than an auror. "About all of this."

"Me too."

Not for the first time that morning he pulled out the vial from his inner pocket and stared at the glowing liquid. A few times he had been tempted but he was still unable to bring himself to take the plunge.

"Something I might have to arrest you for, hot stuff?" Tonks quipped as she stretched out on the blanket, leaning back on her elbows to observe the Lake. Harry actually found himself smiling at her attempt at humour.

"This?" He held the vial up to show her. "Did you know the Blacks have a way of keeping naughty little metamorphs in line?"

"Morgana." Tonks went white as she stared at the vial. "Mum used to threaten me with it, said I should be thankful she didn't know the recipe."

"She brews? I thought she was a nurse." He thought he remembered Sirius telling him about Andromeda working in St. Mungo's.

"She did it all at the hospital. Now that she's one of the administrators, she knows exactly what the different departments really needs."

Harry nodded. It sounded like the focused girl of Sirius' stories.

"This isn't that." He explained, twirling the vial between his fingers. "This is how to unblock someone who was given that and can't change."

Nymphadora's jaw dropped and she looked between Harry and the vial. She tried asking the question but nothing would come out and eventually he took pity on her.

"It's all true." He answered and then took his time to explain what he had learned about his birth.

Tonks frowned, questions running wild in her mind to be thought over when she had the time. Instead she had a friend to help.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He admitted, and for the first time he looked like a scared fourteen year-old boy rather than the powerful wizard she had seen the night before. "Kreacher says that I've been hiding from myself and everyone else as Harry."

"Kreacher?" She laughed, memories of childhood stories coming back to her. "Mum told me all about that crazy elf."

Their conversation was interrupted when Harry noticed a shape heading towards them. It turned out to be a paper plane, charmed to fly and avoid everyone until it reached its destination.

"They use them in the Ministry." Tonks explained with a frown as Harry carefully opened the letter. To their surprise it was a note from Professor Flitwick inviting him to a morning meeting.

The two friends looked at each other and shrugged in unison. Best to see what it was about rather than guessing.

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oOoOo

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Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was not having a good day.

The inclusion of Harry into the Tri-Wizard Tournament hadn't exactly been planned but it wasn't a complete surprise to the Headmaster of Hogwarts. As much as he didn't like Harry bringing it up, the boy really was being systematically tested against dangerous events.

Albus Dumbledore had never been worried. The prophecy was clear; Harry and Tom would fight to the death so really there was never any true danger to the boy. It was a way for Harry to learn and grow, to see his friends in danger and act, without any true harm possibly coming his way.

So no. While he hadn't planned on Harry being entered into the Tournament, Dumbledore wasn't concerned for the boy's safety. What did concern him was the change in attitude and power that Harry had showed since the start of the new school year.

Dumbledore had managed to scan the famous scar since September First and was positive the Horcrux was still present and dormant. This put his fears that Tom's power was somehow influencing Harry to rest yet that then brought up a different worry. If Harry continued his current growth then he could very well be capable of meeting Tom on an equal...ish..footing when the latter found a new body. Albus Dumbledore knew that if Harry was ever to win then he would have to kill the poor boy in order to destroy the last fragment of Tom's soul.

No, better that Harry tragically died, weakening Tom in the process, and was able to meet his parents in the next great adventure.

The way Harry had fought back against both his name coming out of the Goblet and the pre-emptive strike at the students to stop them turning on him scared Dumbledore. It was the sign of a strong boy with plenty to live for. He wasn't sure if that meant Harry would be less likely in wanting to face Tom or if it was possible to light Harry's quest for revenge and use the new attitude as a means to a happy end for everyone.

Unfortunately for Dumbledore he couldn't think over these important things that morning. Amelia Bones had come to visit.

Madam Bones, Head of the DMLE, sat in her chair with military precision and stared at Dumbledore through her damned charmed monocle that blocked all attempts at Legilimency. He attempted to give her his most grandfatherly smile and knew it was wasted by her answering scowl.

"What can I do for you, Amelia?"

"You can explain how a fourteen year-old boy has been entered into a tournament that everyone agreed would only accept consenting adults." She snapped, hating how the infuriating man used her first name. "And what's being done to protect Scion Potter."

Dumbledore winced at the title. It was another thing he had to curse Sirius for. After all, why tell the boy about his family when he was destined to die anyway?

"Now, Amelia." Dumbledore attempted to placate her with his soft tone and smooth smile. "Hogwarts is investigating. It's a tragic event but I'm positive everything will sort itself out in the end."

Amelia scoffed at that. She had never liked the power Dumbledore wielded and her distaste had only grown through what she'd learned from Tonks' undercover work.

"Did you tell Scion Potter that he didn't have to agree?" She pushed on, ignoring his platitudes. Dumbledore felt himself go white at her words. "Or that his magical guardian, which I was surprised to find out was you, could have refused his entry?"

"Ah... Well you see..."

"You didn't, did you?" Her eyes narrowed. "I bet you only told him it was a magically binding contract."

Dumbledore had nothing he could say to the accusation. Amelia knew she was right and it twisted her guts to know that the boy had been manipulated that way. She pushed on, changing subjects while she had the great Chief Warlock on the ropes.

"And while I'm here, you can tell me all about the painful death of a teacher, a rampaging basilisk and why Scion Potter was forced to fight over a hundred Dementors on his own."

It took until lunch for Albus Dumbledore to eventually get the rampaging Bones to leave. He had no idea where she had got her information from but it was far too accurate for his comfort. He was sure Harry hadn't had a chance to talk to her over the summer as his contacts in the Ministry would have warned him about such a meeting. So how had she become such a champion for young Harry's cause? And how did she find out so many things he had kept hidden from the outside world?

She had threatened an Auror presence throughout the year with extra security measures for each of the three trials. Dumbledore didn't think he would be able to stop her bringing the measures into place, not without putting himself at risk of losing political strength. Given Tom's imminent resurgence, that was the last thing he needed.

"Perhaps I can convince Barty that it's all my idea?" He mused as he pinched the bridge of his nose. There was a painful headache building behind his eyes and he wondered if a trip to Madam Pomfrey wasn't in order.

And then Remus Lupin came to visit.

The werewolf was irate, eyes a blazing amber and there was a consistent growl to his words.

"What the hell is this, Albus?" Remus demanded. He stood, ignoring the offered chair, and stared down at Dumbledore who had leaned back with an attempted air of control. "I thought the whole idea was for Harry to be safe here?"

"I'm working on that, Remus." He said in a calm, easy voice. Okay so he laced it with a bit of magic in the hope of calming the wolf but who could blame him?

Apparently Remus did.

"Don't try that crap with me!" Remus snarled, his fingers curling to keep from launching himself over the desk. "You're trying? Like you tried to keep James and Lily safe?"

"Now, my boy. I did all I could for them."

"But what about Harry?" Remus' eyes narrowed and inside he was crowing with glee at being able to manipulate the conversation to where he and Sirius had wanted it. "Did you do all you could for him? Voldemort was after _him_ , wasn't he?"

Dumbledore's thoughts froze and he could only blink up at Remus. It was one thing for Harry to throw that accusation at him but Remus? This meant that Sirius knew as well and Dumbledore worried what the Black would do. Especially if it was actually proven true.

"We all thought it was James and Lily but it was Harry as well. Was it the same with the Longbottoms? Why, in Merlin's name, would children be targeted? Answer me!"

Dumbledore always had backup plans and he had an emergency story in case this ever came out. He only hoped that they hadn't found out about the prophecy. And that the wolf wouldn't feel the compulsion that would be intertwined in his words. Dumbledore was about to use his gambit when something extraordinary happened.

Severus Snape came to visit.

"This isn't over." Remus promised when he saw who had opened the door. The werewolf nodded to Snape and was about to leave when he was stopped by the Potions Master.

"Wolf." Snape's familiar sneer was missing and Remus gave the other man his full attention. "Tell the mutt...tell Black...that your apology...both of them...are accepted. For her. For her, they're accepted."

Remus blinked in surprise. Sirius had told him of their school rival's change in attitude towards Harry yet to see how his cub had affected Snape in others ways was truly magical.

He nodded to Snape, sent Dumbledore another death glare that promised a return to the conversation, and left. Severus' sneer appeared in full force and, with the venom his House animal was famous for, spoke up.

"We need to talk, Headmaster. Now."

No, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was not having a good day at all.

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oOoOo

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.

Harry and Tonks found Professor Flitwick in his office. She decided to wait outside for Harry so he could see what the Ravenclaw Head wanted.

"Good bodyguard." He chuckled with his trademark lopsided grin, slipping into the office before she could land the smack he knew his comment deserved.

"It's good to see you smiling, Mister Potter." The diminutive Professor said with his own smile. "Especially after last night."

Harry nodded and took the offered chair. The office was small but comfortable with Flitwick's desk along one wall while the others were filled with books on a fantastic number of subjects. The visitor's chair was alongside the wall so that any conversation was more casual than what it would be separated by a desk.

"I spoke to Minerva last night once all the commotion was over with." The Charms Master began, getting straight down to business. "She told me what you said in the side chamber and I'd like to know if that's still your plan?"

Harry frowned and tried to replay the event in order to find out what Professor Flitwick was talking about. His mind too obsessed with the events that followed to bring up what the man was talking about.

"I'm sorry, sir." He said with true regret. "It was a very long night and I'm afraid I don't quite remember everything I said."

Flitwick nodded understandably and leaned back in his chair, bringing the fingertips together and tapping them against his lips.

"You told the room that you refused to participate in the Tournament as a student of Hogwarts. From what I understand, you believe Mister Diggory is the true Hogwarts Champion."

"He is." Harry emphatically said. The passion at his belief colouring the words. "Cedric put his name in and he was chosen. He deserves everything that comes with being a Tri-Wizard Champion for this school."

"Mister Potter." Flitwick broke out into a teeth-filled grin at the mini-rant. "You've impressed me a lot since your return from the summer and what you've just said confirms my thoughts. I agree with you and I applaud your attitude. As such I'd like to offer my services."

"Sir?" Harry's thoughts were derailed. This was not what he had been expecting.

"I want to take you on as a p _rotégé_ , Mister Potter." Flitwick told the gob-smacked Harry. "Not as a Charms Master but under my old Duelling Champion hat. I will teach you everything you need to know to survive this Tournament and whatever comes beyond."

"Pro...Professor..." Harry stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing. "I don't really know what to say."

"A 'yes' if you're interested." Flitwick chuckled and Harry frantically nodded his head.

"Yes, yes, of course. But sir, I have to ask."

"You want to know why?" Harry nodded to the question. The teacher he had come to respect above all sighed, staring off into the distance as he explained his thinking. "You've gone through a lot in your life, Mister Potter. More so since you came to this school. This year I have seen you do your best to rise above it all to become something better.

"We've spoken the past few weeks about your self-training and we both know you're preparing yourself for something evil." Flitwick looked Harry in the eyes and Harry saw a sadness in the white-haired man. "I want to do my best to aid you so that you survive and continue growing into the person I've come to respect."

"I...I mean...thank you, Professor." Harry's throat was tight at what he had heard.

It was the first time he had truly had someone wanting to do what was best for him outside of Sirius. Tonks didn't really count, she was ordered to by Madam Bones, and Remus was only recently around. Harry couldn't describe what he was feeling but he liked it.

Flitwick nodded as though understanding the truth depth of Harry's words.

"The Champions are able to take classes off for training." The Professor explained. "I suggest you pick some of yours to do so for the rest of the year. You can always do the homework but you'll need the extra hours for your training."

Harry could see the sense in the suggestion. He didn't want to skip Arithmancy nor Ancient Runes, not after only recently switching to the classes, and leaving Potions seemed like a recipe for disaster as far as he was concerned. Harry explained his thinking and was pleased when the Professor agreed.

"Nicely reasoned. Transfiguration, History of Magic, Herbology and, of course, my own Charms class will give you plenty of extra time. I will speak to Professors McGonagall and Sprout later today and explain what is happening and we will begin your training tomorrow."

"Thank you, Professor." Harry gushed as he stood to leave. Even a Muggle-raised like he understood what being taken on as an apprentice meant. "I hope I don't disappoint."

"I doubt you will, Mister Potter, and I'll finally get to see where you've been using my advice these past weeks."

Harry laughed at the image of the excitable Professor exploring the talents of the Room of Requirement. He was about to open the door when Flitwick called his name.

"I understand you helped sneak a dragon out of the school in your first year." Harry looked at the man curiously and nodded. "Fascinating creatures, dragons. You should read up on them and learn what you had the fortune of being near. I understand they can be very _challenging._ "

Harry froze and felt the colour leave his face at the emphasis. Professor Flitwick nodded once when he saw the message had been received and waved him goodbye.

Harry stumbled out of the office and straight into Professor McGonagall, not realising who it was until they had pulled apart.

"Potter, just the person I wanted to see." She glared at him and he winced, guessing that it was about the previous night. "What do you think you were doing fighting in the Common Room like a ruffian. Not just fighting but a brutal assault on another student. Do you have anything to say to me?"

"Professor..." Tonks tried to support him but the irate Scotswoman was having none of it.

"Quiet, Miss Columbus." McGonagall snapped, refusing to look away from her prey. "I want to hear what Potter has to say. Well? I'm waiting?"

Harry fought back his instinctive answer and looked up at his Head of House. This confrontation had been coming for a while and he held his tongue.

"I lost my temper, Professor." He calmly told her, all the while the far too familiar anger burned and boiled inside at how she was so willing to stand up to Weasley but not for him. "Words were said, painful and hurtful words, and instead of walking away I lost control. There's no excuse."

Tonks watched Harry face up to McGonagall and could feel his magic straining as he forced himself to remain calm. In that moment she loathed the Gryffindor Head for the wishy-washy way she treated him. The woman in question pinched her nose and sighed.

"What am I going to do with you, Harry?" She asked as though there was anything that needed to be done with him. Tonks scowled at the woman and reminded herself she wasn't allowed to curse the teacher. "You're getting out of control, throwing your magic and status around far too much, attacking fellow Gryffindors. This is a school, not the Wizengamot or a fighting establishment in Knockturn Alley."

Harry refused to comment and stood at parade rest and the entire scene gave Tonks flashbacks to her Auror training when an instructor seemed to take out a bad day on their recruits. She knew first hand that sometimes all you could do was take the criticism and prove them wrong when you had the chance.

"You're one of this school's Champions." McGonagall stated and ignored Harry's scoff. "That means you're set to a higher standard now."

 _What's new?_ Harry thought.

"I'm giving you two months detention and taking fifty points from Gryffindor for fighting with one of your own. You'll serve the detentions with me after dinner."

"Yes, Professor." Harry answered and McGonagall flinched at how hollow his voice had become. "But you'll need to explain this to my Master."

"Your...Master?" She repeated carefully and Tonks stared at Harry in confusion. Both women caught the slight twinkle of mischief that was such a prominent sight for the Marauders.

"I've been taken on as a duelling apprentice by Master Flitwick." Harry said, unable to hold back his wicked grin at their shocked faces. "He wanted to see you today so I'm sure he'd be happy to hear all about this."

McGonagall pulled herself together with a death glare at Harry and stormed past him, throwing open Flitwick's door without a knock. The confused and angry woman closed it behind her and Harry managed to hold back the laughter until he heard the click of a lock.

Tonks didn't know what to think. She grabbed the giggling hyena that was Harry and dragged him down the corridor in order to get her answers. He laughed the entire way.

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oOoOo

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"Dragons?" Hermione screeched later that day. "What are they thinking of? Dragons?"

The large group had taken up their usual spot within the Room of Requirement and it had given Harry a chance to tell them about Flitwick's hint. As expected, everyone was horrified at the idea.

"Well, it's simple." Daphne said as though discussing the weather. "We simply research everything about the things and you learn the best way of staying alive."

"Preferably without getting cooked like an overdone Sunday Roast." Harry grumbled.

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oOoOo

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 _2nd November, 1994_

It didn't take long for the news of Harry being Flitwick's apprentice to spread like wildfire around Hogwarts. The school had not had one in three centuries and many had rushed off to study what it meant for the school, themselves and the two involved.

McGonagall learned that she had lost the ability to discipline her lion. Any complaints about Harry now had to go directly to Flitwick who would then decided whether punishment was deserved and what that would entail.

A calm conversation between Master and Apprentice detailing the events between Harry and Ron had Flitwick assign Harry meditative detentions with the order to increase his Occlumency and Animagus mind exercises. The Charms Master was certain that Harry had touched upon his animal and its primal nature was pushing his mood swings.

When Dumbledore found out about it all he cursed the names Bones, Lupin and even Snape for keeping him busy and out of the loop. The rules of Master-Apprentice relationships were clear and he was now barred from speaking to Harry alone unless given Flitwick's approval. Something he was certainly not going to be asking for.

Those closest to Harry were excited over the development but the joy was tempered by the fear and worry over the first task. At Harry's insistence, a message would be passed through the grapevine for Cedric so that the Hufflepuff would learn of the mutual fate in time.

The first lesson found Flitwick in awe of the Room of Requirement and he gave an approved nod at seeing Harry's set up.

"I like it, Apprentice." He told Harry as he easily hopped onto the high duelling platform. "You've adapted it from my stories, I see."

"Yes, Sir." Harry joined his teacher on the platform. They had both changed into duelling robes; outfits that clung tight to the body in order to streamline movements. Harry was thankful that there were no girls around.

"I understand that you've decided to remain in Gryffindor Tower. I approve." Flitwick chuckled at Harry's look of surprise. "You're showing them that you don't hold Weasley's disgusting behaviour against the rest of them. You never want to alienate a group because of the actions of an individual, that way leads to ruin."

"Like the goblin wars that started with small attacks from bandits." Harry said, showing his understanding, and Flitwick raised an eyebrow.

"I was expecting an example of anti Muggle-born attitudes but that works as well." The Professor's wand shot out of his sleeve and he took a professional duelling stance. "Now, firstly I need to know your level before I can begin the improvements. You know how to cast a _Protego_ , I assume?"

"Yes, sir." It had been the one of the first Sirius had taught Harry and the only that they could practice in the Shack without attracting attention.

"Good. You're only allowed two spells, Apprentice; the _Protego_ , or a variant, and the _Expelliarmus_ spell. Your goal is to survive as long as you can while I curse you and if you happen to be lucky, you might even attempt to disarm me."

The two shared a grin and then the exercise began in earnest. Flitwick wasted no time and sent a string of curses at Harry that caused him to duck and roll away from the multi-coloured streams. He had no idea what half the spells were that the tiny warrior cast at him and didn't feel like finding out.

Harry knew from Sirius that most wizards and witches tended to stay in one place, relying on their shields first and their ability to move second. He had taken on the opposite style and bobbed and weaved around the spells, using a _Protego_ only if he couldn't move fast enough.

Five minutes in and Harry had yet to get of even an attempt at disarming Flitwick. Harry's heart was pumping wildly and he felt alive but frustrated. The spells seemed to be coming faster and even with all his cardio work, he was finding himself slowing down.

" _Protego Maxima!_ " Harry roared, his wand slashing up to create a powerful shield charm that repelled the oncoming storm. He took the moment's peace to begin his own offensive by spraying _Expelliarmus_ spells towards his mentor.

Flitwick released a laugh of delight and began his own twisted dance. The small man spun in the air and moved almost faster than Harry could see but he refused to quit. Harry sent the disarming spell directly at Flitwick and off to the sides where he guessed the Professor would dive. At least twice Flitwick was forced to raise his own _Protego_ to deflect the attack.

Harry was grinning wildly, the thrill of battle causing his deep Black blood to sing with passion, and he was so caught up in the offence that he didn't notice his shield was beginning to weaken. Flitwick did.

With speed that Harry had not seen before, the Duelling Master proved his credentials by raising his own _Maxima_ shield and then sending powerful hexes at the corners of Harry's protection. The impact of each spell caused the shield to flash brightly, blinding Harry for an instant, and he never saw the _Expelliarmus_ that smashed through the centre of his shield to send him flying off the platform.

Harry landed hard, his breath leaving in a loud groan of explosion. As he struggled to sit up, Flitwick only had one response.

"Again, Apprentice."

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oOoOo


	14. Naughty, Naughty, Junior

**AN: I want to thank you for your great reviews. As set up earlier in the story (there are crumbs of information in some early chapters for stuff that doesn't happen until much later) here you have Harry unmasking a dead man.**

 **One important thing before I continue. I've finished a mammoth chapter of over 20k words that details a lot of what happens to Harry within two weeks. Would you be willing to read through such a massive thing or would you prefer to have it broken in parts 1/2/3 that are posted a few days apart? Do let me know.**

 **Shadowsmage - I fully admit to being inspired by that wonderful story. Any comment about the Blacks and their knives (especially the women) is a direct homage to Season of Change and there is some scenes later on involving Ted Tonks that might bring up some more similarities. However I'm doing my very best to make this original rather than any type of copy of that story.**

 **desireejones99 & Yana5 - About Hermione and Professor Minnie, see the Biowind reply for reasons why they are the way they are.**

 **shadowkat87 - Don't worry, Harry won't let anything bad to his Luna.**

 **Inumiru - Ha! I've done the same.**

 **Biowind - Firstly, I love detailed reviews (as terrible as I am doing my own) so yours was extremely welcome. The grammar comment made my day as it's my biggest weakness in writing. In regards to Hermione, we must remember that she is an incredibly order-driven girl who has had part of her world upside-down with this new Harry. He is incredibly focused in his work, spending a lot of his time with his exercise regime and she is feeling left out. Given the events of last chapter and this, they are going to be spending less time together in class and Hermione has to redefine what she believes is her relationship with Harry.**

 **McGonnagall is actually partly based on an old teacher of mine. Minnie comes across a stern teacher who is a stickler for the rules until you get close to her/connect on a personal level but her teaching style pushes the students away. She and Harry have had no real time to get to know each other, for her to understand why he reacts the way he does. Without that connection, she automatically falls back on what she knows. Your guess over the detentions is spot on. She was wanting to use the time to make that personal connection with her cub but, alas, Flitwick got in there first. However the next chapter will be her turning point.**

 **Enough comment responses, it's now on to the show!**

* * *

Naughty, Naughty, Junior

 _Of those who have possessed the blood and magic, none have had their deeds so lost in time yet remembered by many as the Brothers Three._

 _A great evil had swept across the land in their youth. Its touch swept away their happy memories and left them desperately searching for a way to keep such darkness from touching their lives once again._

 _In their desperation, they delved into the abyss. They wished to fight power with Power, to meet death with Death. They called forth the Pale Rider and he came riding the King of Thestrals._

 _Though the sight of the Pale Rider filled the brothers three with fear they held firm, and demanded aid in destroying their future enemies. The Rider grinned and gave them instructions for three powerful weapons._

 _With a voice that was the very wind of the Shadow Lands, the Rider told them to have patience. For Death is eternal and Death shall wait for those who are owed to him._

 _The Rider broke free from the Calling, as he had always been able to do, and left the brothers with a Thestral foal. A test of their patience._

 **[ Extract from the _Potter Book_ ]**

 _5th November, 1994_

Professor Flitwick pushed Harry hard over the next few days. Harry would learn the painful way when to use his shields, when to dodge and when he could simply step to the side and save his energy. The training sessions would eventually deteriorate into duels, Harry's distaste for the defensive as evident by the end of the week as it had been their first day.

To Harry's surprise it seemed Flitwick didn't mind the attacks. When he eventually got around to asking, the smiling Professor chuckled.

"Knowing when to defend and when to attack is key, Apprentice," was the sage reply. "Even the strongest shields will crumble under enough pressure and the deadliest attacker will eventually fall if they cannot defend. When you have your little pique, you are not merely going at me blindly. You are learning how to switch between one stage of a duel to another."

The answer took Harry back and Flitwick continued.

"You're a powerful wizard, Mister Potter. I have no doubt that your strengths will prove to as someone who takes every battle by the thestral's mane. What I want is you to know how to survive long enough for your power to bring you victory and so you know not to rely on simply battering your opponent."

Harry would work even harder with that explanation ringing in his ears.

There was less development on the dragon front. Sirius' immediate idea of a _Conjunctivitis_ curse was the best that had been thought up but Harry was hesitant to anger a dragon if he missed. Or even if he hit the thing. Why the hell would he _want_ to anger a bloody dragon?

No matter how a day would pan out, it would always end the same way. The curtains around Harry's bed would be drawn and he would sit, leaning against the wall, with the vial in hand. For minutes at a time Harry would look at the vibrant blue liquid inside and debate over taking it and removing the 'mask' Kreacher had been so sure he wore. Sometimes he would even find his fingers around the stopper, mere moments from pulling it off, only to stop and stare at the vial all over again.

The potion held no answers, gave no promises, and for Harry that was the trouble. It was a door that, once opened, he would not be able to walk back through if he changed his mind.

He was at least honest with himself to admit that a big part of it was that _he was a bloody girl!_

While Neville and Hermione didn't know what was sapping their friend's smiles, all those close to Harry agreed with them that he needed down time. The first Hogsmeade trip of the year was that Saturday and it was why Harry found himself sitting in The Three Broomsticks alongside Moony and a Polyjuiced Sirius.

Neville had finally got the courage up to ask Hermione out on a date and the two were walking the streets of Hogsmeade together. Tonks and Susan were sitting in a booth with Susan's aunt, Amelia Bones. Ostensibly it was a niece and friend talking to a family member, though Harry was sure he could guess at the real conversation there. That he had seen the eldest Bones weave privacy spells the moment the girls had sat down was his biggest clue. Hannah had taken the opportunity to join Daphne and Tracey in a giggling mess within Gladrags.

"Harry, eat your food," Remus broke through his musings. He had been playing with the green peas all the while his thoughts raged on. "You have to look after yourself."

"I know, Moony," Harry sighed. The unwanted fork clattered on the plate as he leaned back in the chair. The noise caught a few people's attention but they quickly looked away at Harry's glare. "It's just that..."

"You've had a lot to process in a short amount of time," Sirius finished off in his mousey haired, blue-eyed form. Harry nodded. It was the same disguise he had used for Harry's birthday. "Is this about..?"

"I feel like I'm letting you down, Padfoot," Harry confessed. His eyes filled with the fear that ate at him since he had learned the truth.

"Harry," Sirius reached across the table and took his godson's hand, squeezing it hard until the boy's eyes focused rather than stare off into the distance. "I've told you. I will love you no matter what you decided to do. Flush the damn thing away if that's what you _truly_ want to do. But only do it because you want to and only take it if it's what you want."

"He's right, Cub," Remus added when Harry merely stared at the other Marauder. "We may want the best for you but we're not going to force our belief of what that is. You've been through too much for us to try controlling you like that."

"I feel stuck, trapped," Harry told them, nervous how the two men would take the confession. The frown from Sirius' borrowed face didn't help his unease.

"Isn't that what you said you felt when Flitwick traps you in your practice duels?"

"Yeah..." Harry drew the word out, unable to see what the connection was. His godfather continued.

"And you said that you start feeling like that after you've spotted an opening?"

"Sure," he shrugged, now absolutely confused. The Professor had confessed after their second day that he intentionally left an opening to bait Harry's aggressive instincts, a test to have him learn the difference between a true and pretend weakness.

Sirius broke out in high pitched giggles that brought far more attention than Harry's fork had. Remus and Harry stared at the third member of their group in concern and it took the Animagus a few minutes to calm himself enough to explain what had tickled his fancy.

"It's your Family legacy," the Marauder chuckled with a shake of the head. "Both Potters and Blacks can be incredibly patient when they have to be but hate holding back when they see a weakness."

"Merlin, you're right!" Moony laughed, his face lighting up and de-ageing before Harry's eyes. "James would be the same way when he have an idea for a prank and couldn't find a reason not to wait."

"Exactly," Sirius nodded with passion as he grinned like a lunatic. "He knew what he wanted to do and unless there was a good reason to be patient, he would pace like a beast."

"And?" Harry growled at them, the sound canine enough to catch the two men's attention and bring them back from the memories.

"Charlus was the same, my grandfather, Arcturus, was the same," Sirius continued with a little more self-restraint. "I think a part of you knows what you want to do and doesn't see a reason to wait, while the rest of you is holding back. Now hear me out!"

He held up a palm as Harry opened his mouth to argue. He glared at the Marauder but kept quiet.

"I'm not saying I know what the decision is or even if it's the one you'll stick with. But I think that there's a part of you that knows which way you want to go here."

Harry turned away from the spark of hope in his godfather's eyes and looked out the window. _Godfather,_ Harry thought, _would become father_. He knew no matter what Padfoot said, there would always be that hope in the man that Harry would take the potion.

Harry was silent for a while and watched the students and teachers pass by. He saw Hagrid walking towards the Three Broomsticks with Moody, the DADA Professor was talking, his flask visible from the distance as the sun bounced off it. Harry heard a noise and turned as Sirius was pulling out his own flask to swig back the Polyjuice potion. It was a familiar scene, one he had watched throughout their shopping trip in Diagon Alley over the summer.

Suddenly the two images slammed together in Harry's mind and he felt like smacking himself around the head. His heart accelerated at the idea forming and his mouth went dry.

"Padfoot..." He croaked around the rising fear at being right. "What happened to Barty Crouch Junior?"

"Junior?" Sirius frowned, thrown by the sudden change in subject. At Harry's pleading look he answered the question. "Saddest thing really, old man Crouch visited his two-bit son with his wife and the Death Eater bastard croaked."

"Why was it sad?"

"Because Lady Crouch died a few days later," Remus explained as he tried following where Harry was going with the questions. "Barty Crouch lost his family within the space of a week."

Harry was up and out of his seat before Moony had finished speaking. The dread was full blown but beneath it was rage; a fiery, all consuming anger at what it would mean if he was right. He ran to the Bones booth with Remus and Sirius in hot pursuit. Amelia saw him coming and only had time to pull down her privacy wards before he crashed into the table.

"Mister Potter, what in the world?"

"Madam Bones." Harry's breath came in frantic gasps, his friends and family looked at each other with concern over how he was acting. "I'm sorry but this is important. What happens when someone dies while under the effects of Polyjuice?"

Amelia's eyes passed behind Harry to where Sirius was standing and then back to him, confusion clearly written on her face.

"Mister Potter..."

"Lady Bones, _Please_!" Harry hissed, the desperation pouring from him.

Sirius frowned, confused at the question and then replayed the last few minutes. Apparently Remus was doing the same for they both reacted at the same time when the answer hit.

"Merlin..."

"Morgana..."

"It's a potion-based transfiguration, Scion Potter." She told him, her voice clipped with annoyance. "A dead body doesn't have any magic left to revert back to its original form."

By this time the entire inn was watching and everyone winced as Harry's scream of "Fuck!" assaulted their eager ears. He spun and headed to the exit before anyone could react, his wand already in his hand and spluttering raw magic as he slammed the door open. Amelia was up and following, her own wand drawn through instinct, but she was too late.

" _EXPELLIAMUS!"_ Harry's roar filled the air and was heard from almost one end of the main street to the other. Following it was a thud as a body smashed into brick.

"What 'ave yer done, 'arry?" Hagrid cried in confused, his shaggy head swivelling from his small friend to the downed body of Professor Moody.

"Scion Potter, put your wand down this instant!" Amelia shouted, already falling into her Auror training. The others could only stare in shock at what they were seeing.

"Did you enjoy it, _Professor_?" Harry spat, his wand pointed at the fake Moody's heart. "Did you enjoy using the Killing Curse in front of me?"

"Scion Potter. Your wand. Now!"

"You must have loved being able to use the _Crucio_." Harry's rage fully slipped its leash at the idea of the worthless Death Eater using the spell in front of Neville that he had used on his friend's parents. The tip of the holly wand glowed in response to his emotions and a harsh wind was building up in the street, sending small pieces of litter fluttering through the air. "I bet you got off on it, you sick fuck."

"Potter, I'm going to count to ten and if you don't..." Amelia declared, only to tail off as Remus grabbed her arm and leaned in to frantically whisper in her ear. Sirius was too stunned to do anything and could only repeat _Morgana_ over and over.

There was crowd building. Some in shock at what they were witnessing, some in glee at the idea of Harry finally losing his mind.

"After everything you did, daddy got you out of Azkaban. Sirius was innocent and rotting away in there while daddy got you free!" Harry ranted over the pleading Hagrid.

The fake Moody grinned and made no effort to move. "You've gone mad, boy. You're more paranoid than I am."

"Was it Pettigrew?" Harry demanded. His hand was beginning to shake at the torrent of emotions that threatened to rip him apart and the wind chilled those it touched. "Was it that rat bastard who found him?"

"Pettigrew's dead, everyone knows that," Fake Moody sneered. The look stunned both Amelia and Tonks out of their stupors. Neither had ever seen such a look on their mentor and they both pointed their wands at the imposter, stepping to either side so they flanked Harry. "Black killed him, like he betrayed your parents."

Harry blinked and his entire posture changed. Gone was the crazed, emotional boy, instead there was a cold and vicious young adult in his place. Sirius felt his Black magic stirring and stared at the back of Harry's head in shock. Whether his godson knew it or not, he was tapping into his other self. Remus sniffed the suddenly air and whipped his head to look at his fellow Marauder in understanding.

"You know nothing about that night," Harry stated, harshly. "I took on your master, Crouch. Me, a baby, and I won. Have you seen him yet? Did you see what's become of your precious Voldemort?"

The crowd shivered as one at the feared name and then gasped as one when Fake Moody snapped.

"You're not fit to speak the Dark Lord's name!" Barty Crouch Junior roared in Moody's voice. "He's going to crush you like he planned to that night and you'll beg him to let you join your parents!"

Crouch Junior froze as he realised his mistake. He saw the decision made in the three pairs of eyes and twisted, Apparating out of Hogsmeade just as two _Stupefies_ and a Diffindo hit the spot where he had been laying.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Hogwarts was in chaos. Harry's public attack on the imposter meant that the news of their DADA teaching being a Polyjuiced, and believed dead, Death Eater had reached the ears of all students quicker than a squad of Aurors could arrive. The same squad that searched the school for the real Professor Moody and to find any nasty toys that Crouch Junior might have left behind.

They finally found the bound and gagged Mad-Eye hidden in a multi-compartment trunk in the DADA office.

Another squad had been sent to 'invite' Crouch the elder to a DMLE cell for a talk with Madam Bones later in the day.

Amelia was not amused. She had pulled Harry into a requisitioned conference room in the search for answers and was immediately surprised by his request for Filius Flitwick. That the famed Duelling Master had taken the Potter Scion on as an apprentice was one more thing to add to the list of strangeness going on at the famous school.

She sat across the table from Harry and Professor Flitwick, a charmed quill to her right hovered over a piece of parchment ready to write down everything said. On her left was Harry's holly wand, taken for protocol only.

"This is a Dict-a-Quill, Scion Potter," she pointed out. "It will write down everything that is said today, without any edits or changes. And for the record, any ones you see like this that are green will _not_ be as truthful. Those are called Quick-Quotes Quills."

"I understand," Harry gave a weak smile as a show of thanks. He was resting his forehead in his hand, fingers running along his scar, as he fought against the exhaustion that came with the flushing of adrenaline.

"Now, I must inform you that this is an official interview to do with a DMLE investigation," Amelia began as the quill started up. She was rubbing at the bruise she knew had formed on her forearm from where Remus Lupin had used his werewolf strength to keep her from stunning the boy. For the first time she understood first hand why they were feared. "You aren't in trouble but I need to understand what happened today. To begin with, I want to know how you knew the man you attacked wasn't retired Auror Alastor Moody."

"I suppose it begins with this," Harry reached into his robe and withdrew the Marauder's Map. He flattened it out onto the table between them and pointed at his wand. "May I?"

Amelia looked between Harry and his wand, the monocled eye suspicious but she nodded and slid it across the table. The two adults watched in awe when Harry tapped his wand to the parchment and said the magic words.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The blank canvas became an intricate map of Hogwarts with moving dots. Harry zoomed into their part of the castle and they saw their own names in the room with that of Kingsley Shacklebolt standing outside. A blob title Albus Dumbledore looked to be coming down the hallway towards the room.

"Mischief Managed," Harry cancelled the magic and didn't notice the slight widening of Flitwick's eyes as he saw a surprising name.

"That's an amazing piece of magic," Amelia was awed at the talent needed to create such a thing. She was also immediately thinking about all the tactical uses such a map would have in the Ministry. Harry turned to his Master and saw the excitement glistening in his favourite teacher's eyes and simply handed the item over to the small man with an understanding grin,

"It's a family heirloom, Madam Bones," he explained. They both ignored Flitwick performing a series of diagnostic spells on the map.

"Amazing. It's tied directly into the castle's wards. This map cannot lie!" Flitwick announced with a shake of the head.

Amelia raised an eyebrow at the skill level needed to make such an object and the look she gave Harry demanded explanations.

"My father and his three friends – the Marauders as they called themselves – made that map when they were in Hogwarts. It's one of the only things I have to remember him by," Harry sighed, emotions clogging his throat, and the two adults paused to absorb what they heard. Harry had realised that if he took the potion and gave up being Harry Potter, then the sentence would still be mostly true. He shook himself down and continued. "I would often see the names Moody and Barty Crouch together so apparently it doesn't show suffixes."

"So you believed it was Barty Crouch Senior?" Amelia pressed. It was a logical deduction after all. "What changed your mind?"

"Over the summer..." Harry paused and looked carefully at Madam Bones and then the quill. He had to pick his words carefully and hoped that she wouldn't ask for details. "Over the summer I spent time with someone and we used Polyjuice in order for us to enjoy ourselves in Diagon Alley."

"Why?"

"Madam Bones, please," he sneered at the question with eyes hardening with disgust. It was a look that took both adults by surprise. "I'm the bloody _Boy-Who-Lived_ , how else am I supposed to have privacy?"

Amelia leaned back and studied him. Auror Tonks had been extraordinarily detailed about the boy's years in the school and his personal thoughts towards all the fame that was directed at him. She was used to working with media hungry politicians, Minister Fudge being one of the worse she had the misfortune to know, and to see Harry's opposing attitude was a breath of fresh air to the experienced woman.

"Go on."

"I know that Polyjuice has to be taken within a regular window," Harry said, shrugging as though the rest was obvious. "I noticed that Professor Moody would drink from his hip flask almost religiously but I didn't connect it until today."

"What was so special about today?"

"Someone told me how Mr. Crouch visited his son in Azkaban with his wife and that both of them died close together. The pieces fell into place. Me being in the Tournament, the two names being together late at night, the drinking."

Amelia stopped the quill and studied Harry. She knew there was more but his statement would be enough. After all, the real Moody had been found and attacking an escapee from Azkaban wasn't a criminal offence. Speaking of the prison...

"You saw Sirius using it today as well, didn't you?" She guessed.

Flitwick looked between the two with growing certainty at being out of the loop. "Apprentice?"

"He's innocent," Harry pleaded, leaning forward to emphasise his words. "We told Fudge but he didn't believe us, said we were all Confounded and..."

"Wait a minute," Amelia demanded. It was one thing for her to read this from Tonks' report, another to sit and watch the desperation of a young boy pleading for his godfather's life. "Start from the beginning and tell me everything."

And so Harry did. Amelia was surprised that the story tied so well with what had been passed to her from Tonks. Nothing had been added nor left out and it was obvious from Flitwick's reactions that the Professor hadn't heard any of it before.

She ended up promising that would do all she could for Sirius, knowing that it would get back to her long ago beau, and they made to leave the room. The door opened to reveal a very annoyed Dumbledore facing off against the tall black form of her most loyal Auror.

"Everything okay here, Shack?" She asked in a deceptively sweet voice.

"Sure, Boss. Just keeping the riff-raff out of your hair."

"Amelia!" Dumbledore pleaded, glaring sideways at the uncaring Shacklebolt. "This is my school, Harry is one of my students. I should have been in there with him."

"Really, Albus?" Flitwick's eyebrow rose as his voice lowered. "Mister Potter is _my_ apprentice and by the ancient ways, that makes me the one who handles these situations until I relieve him from my services."

"And there's something more important you should be worried about," Amelia added with a glare at the meddling old goat. "How is it that you missed a Death Eater masquerading as one of your oldest friends?"

.

.

oOoOo

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.

 _11th November, 1994_

The news broke to the rest of Wizarding Britain about the return of Barty Crouch Junior. Father Crouch was arrested only for it to be found that he was suffering from multiple compulsion charms. In fact, he had so many layered on him the medi-witches believed he would never fully recover and would have to spend his remaining days at St. Mungo's.

Minister Fudge spun the story as a man trapped by the love of his family, who broke once and then was unable to make right by his crazed son.

Those who knew better kept an angry silence.

Madam Bones had used the uproar to force through protective measures. Aurors patrolled Hogsmeade and would do so for the remainder of Tri-Wizard Tournament while extra security and safety measures would be introduced for each of the three tasks. Dumbledore had objected strenuously at that second point, a fact that made her even more determined to have it happen. With the news all about the Boy-Who-Lived being put into a dangerous position by a known Death Eater, it wasn't difficult for her to spin the idea into something Fudge would get behind.

Merlin, did she hate playing politics.

The story of Harry taking down the fake Professor took on a life of its own to where some rumours going around Hogwarts had them engaged in a battle not seen since Dumbledore took on Grindelwald for the fate of the world. Harry had a bad taste in his mouth at _that_ comparison.

The real Moody was too weak to take up teaching after spending two months a prisoner, and the classes had been taken up by an Auror Madam Bones loaned to the school. Harry had respectfully declined continuing the class, instead using it as one more block of time to focus on his independent training.

As soon as Kreacher had found out about his confrontation with Crouch Junior, the angry elf had popped into Hogwarts with a handful of Black books all aimed at teaching Harry to become the most powerful wizard he could, whatever colour of magic that meant he learn.

Sirius had laughed at the determined elf and surprisingly agreed. Apparently seeing him face down a Death Eater had unnerved Padfoot to the point where he was open to any idea that kept Harry safe.

Dobby had been even more frantic and pulled so many weapons from the Potter vault that Harry could have armed the entire Gryffindor House. Harry was forced to make the tearful elf take most of them back.

Harry's biggest concern was Neville. His friend had not taken the news well and had thrown himself into his own training to the point Tonks and Hermione had to drag him to classes and force him to do homework. There was only revenge on the Longbottom heir's mind and Harry eventually had to take his friend to see Sirius for a massive heart-to-heart talk. The Marauder had explained to the angry boy exactly what the obsession over revenge had cost him and forced Neville to realise that he had too much to live for. Sirius admitted to Harry later on that it had been an incredibly hard sell.

His friend was another reason why Harry had not skipped out on his Potions class. The aggressive fury within Neville did not need to be unleashed in the volatile class that had Snape as its teacher.

"I find it almost relaxing," Harry explained as they walked the corridor, Gryffindors and Slytherins together on their way to class and not a bad word said between them. "The total focus on preparation, the act of mixing, it blocks out everything else."

"You're weird," Tracey declared and the others chuckled their agreement. "You know that, right? Totally Weird."

"But it only works if you're going by directions," Daphne noted. She had her own passion for the subject and loved looking into how people created new potions. "That's not really the case if you want to make something from scratch."

"We haven't been taught how to do that yet," Hermione reminded the girl. "Unless you've been reading ahead, Harry?"

"I've said it before," he shrugged. "It's like cooking. And with cooking there's a real zone that goes with putting something together that's not been done before. I prefer creating with food, far less of a chance with blowing myself up."

His friends laughed and Neville nodded frantically, remembering far too many times he had almost done that very thing. His lessons with Harry had crawled to a halt now that he felt far more comfortable in the basics of the subject. He now worked on his own during their Room of Requirement study sessions and only occasionally had any accidents.

"You, cooking?" Came the unwanted voice of Malfoy. "You're a right little house-elf, aren't ya Scar-head?"

Harry stiffened at the jibe, though only those closest to him could feel the reaction. Pansy was curled against the Malfoy heir's side, chuckling stupidly at the joke while Harry noted a larger than usual gap between the blond and his bodyguards. Tweedledum and Tweedledee seemed to only be supporting Malfoy in the loosest sense of the word.

"Speaking of house-elves, Malfoy. Dobby says hello," he poked back wearily. Harry was tired of the constant fighting and Malfoy's refusal to learn. "I really should send your father a thank you note, he's turned into a wonderful helper."

Draco made to step closer, the anger clear in his pale eyes, only to pull himself back and put on his usual sneer.

"It's a shame the good name of Slytherin is being dragged through the _mud_ consorting with you lot," Malfoy's eyes zeroed in on Hermione at the emphasis and Neville stiffened at the barely veiled insult.

"You wouldn't know a proper Slytherin if she kicked you in the balls," Harry accused, sending his own glance towards Daphne. The Ice Queen smirked and looked down her nose at Malfoy.

"I don't think so, Gryffindor," She sniffed her poshest voice. "There's not enough manhood there to be worth my foot's time."

The watching crowd, including the other Slytherins, laughed and two bright spots appeared on Malfoy's pale cheeks.

"You're not going to learn, are you, Malfoy?" Harry said with a disgusted shake of the head. "I put you and Daddy-dearest on warning and I know your mother..."

"Don't you dare talk about my mother!"

"I know she's warned you about pushing this. I could end you and Lucy like _this,_ " Harry snapped his fingers and his eyes began to glow from the inside. "And it's because of _her_ that I haven't. Do yourself a favour and grow up before your mouth takes you somewhere you can't get back from."

"Is that a threat?" Malfoy's wand was out but so was Harry's, the holly one already glowing and people began to edge away from the feuding boys.

"It's a promise, Draco, and a warning. Listen to it, _please_."

Harry might not be close to defeating Professor Flitwick in their duelling sessions but he had learned how to watch the way a body moved when it was about to cast. A slight twist of the hips, a pull of the other shoulder and the wand would raise. He saw the signs in Malfoy and was stepping aside even before the spell was fired.

" _Densaugeo!_ "

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

The spell slipped past Harry while his own slammed directly into Malfoy's chest. The poor excuse for a Slytherin was sent crashing into the wall, just as Barty Junior had been, and Harry's Seeker reflexes easily allowed him to catch the airborne wand.

"Hermione!" Neville cried behind him and Harry turned to see his friend's teeth growing horribly large.

"What is all the noise about?" Snape demanded as he opened the classroom door to the chaos.

Pansy did her best to blame it all on Harry but Snape ignored the simpering girl, instead directing his hard gaze on the one Slytherin he knew would give him an unbiased view.

"Greengrass."

"Malfoy threw insults, Potter took exception but held back. Malfoy cast the spell, Potter moved and threw back an _Expelliarmus_. Malfoy's spell hit Granger. The End," the blonde girl said in a dry, bored tone. She knew how to speak to her Head of House.

"Crabbe, Goyle, take Malfoy to Madam Pomfrey. Longbottom, Columbus, take Granger. At least that way I can be assured of at least one cauldron's safety. The rest of you, get in the classroom. Now!"

It turned out that the Potions class was a total bust for Harry. No sooner had Snape began his oh so pleasant instructions that Colin Creevey braved the feared teacher to explain that Harry was wanted upstairs by non other than Bagman. It ended up being a coin-toss over who was more disgusted with the idea; Snape or Harry himself.

"It's amazing, isn't it, Harry?" Colin beamed, bouncing along the corridor. Harry was sure the boy was actually _skipping_ with glee. "I mean, even if you didn't want it, it's amazing that you're Champion."

"Yeah, sure, Colin. Absolutely amazing," was Harry's dry reply.

Once they reached the correct classroom, he nodded goodbye to the hyperactive sprog and took a moment to compose himself. Harry hid his thoughts behind his strengthening Occlude shields and put on the blank mask that was becoming such a habit. His concern at Hermione's condition pushed at him but with it was also a growing worry over Narcissa.

Sirius had told him stories of the cousins growing up, Tonks had confessed the worry her mother had for her sister, and Harry was seeing no way out for the male Malfoys. He sighed and decided to send the Malfoy matriarch an offer of safety.

The decision made, Harry entered the room to face whatever new mess had been cooked up.

It wasn't an impressive room but then, Harry thought, it was really just an old classroom that had been converted into whatever media farce was about to happen. Krum was moodily standing in a corner and Harry wondered if the Bulgarian truly wanted in the Tournament or if he had been 'drafted' to offering his name up to the Goblet. The other two Champions were in a happy conversation with each other and Cedric seemed to only partially be affected by Fleur's allure.

"Here he is!" The idiot Bagman cried out once he noticed Harry. The way he bounced towards Harry was in a far too perfect impression of Colin that it was only his Occlumency keeping Harry from laughing wildly. "Our fourth Champion has arrived. Come in, Harry, come in, it's only the Wand Weighing ceremony!"

"Excuse me?" Harry's blinked, running the words back to see if they made more sense the second time. They didn't. "The what?"

"Wand Weighing," Bagman repeated, waving away any concerns. "They're your most important tool, you know. And this is Rita Skeeter, she's doing a small piece on the Tournament for the Daily Prophet."

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," the smiling woman simpered and the show of teeth reminded Harry of a shark. "I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?"

"A reporter, Ms. Skeeter?" His eyebrow raising in the way Daphne had taught him. He wasn't impressed to see her pull out a long acid-green quill and parchment from her ugly bag. Both floated in mid-air and he remembered the warning Madam Bones had given him about green quills.

"Oh yes, Harry," Came her too-smooth reply and Harry re-evaluated his original thought. She looked like a cat ready to play with a mouse. "I'm happy that you've heard of me."

He hadn't. He carefully eyed the quill and felt the same unease watching it as he did hearing about a politician. The classroom door opened to reveal Dumbledore and Harry's hand shot out to catch his prey from the air before the Skeeter woman could react.

She made to lunge for the precious items but Harry avoided her easily as he read the tripe of an introduction the quill had written. She hissed at him unladylike and he responded with a purely Black grin.

"I'm not a fan of reporters, Ms. Skeeter," Harry told her in mockery of a sickly sweet voice. He pushed his thumb into the tip of the venomous quill until it snapped under the pressure. "And as Scion to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, I'm not keen on people fabricating stories about me. I'm sure you can understanding."

In front of the other Champions, three Heads of the schools, Bagman and, to Harry's surprise, Mr. Ollivander, Harry slowly and meticulously ripped the offending notes into small pieces.

"Why you little brat!" Skeeter shrilled, only to cringe back when Harry's magic flexed.

"When I speak, Ms. Skeeter, my words will be heard as I say them," the words having more impact by the utter coldness of their delivery. Harry threw the pieces onto the floor and made a point of crushing the broken quill beneath his foot. The symbolism causing her to swallow deeply. "I'm so glad we had this conversation."

He gave her one last evil smirk and turned to face the stunned group, a faux look of innocence quickly taking its place.

"And I'm shocked with you, Headmaster Dumbledore. You know that I, as an apprentice to Master Flitwick, cannot be a part of any of this without his consent."

"Harry...you really must calm yourself. All of this anger is not necessary at all."

Harry stared at the Headmaster and then sighed as though defeated by the great and powerful man. "Very well then."

Dumbledore smiled in victory, only to blanch as Harry continued. "I hope you enjoy your Wand Weighing ceremony."

The wizard managed to hold out until Harry had his hand around the doorknob before he caved.

"Please, Harry, wait. I'll send for him," he offered with a put-upon sigh.

Dumbledore withdrew his elegant wand and released the pale form of a phoenix Patronus that shot through the door. Harry happily smirked after it then nodded at Mr. Ollivander who was watching him with interest.

"It's been a long time, Mister Potter," the Wandmaker noted. Aged eyes showing far more wisdom that Harry had ever seen before. "You've done a lot of growing since we first met."

"Not all by choice, sir," he respectfully answered. "It's good to see you again."

It didn't take too long before Professor Flitwick's small frame burst through the door, breathless and irate.

"Really, Albus!" The squeaky voice did nothing to take away from the fury evident in the part-goblin. "Can't you behave for five minutes?"

"Filius, please," Dumbledore attempted to calm his colleague though Harry thought that it would have worked better without the condescending tone. Skeeter's eyes were alight at the political manoeuvrings going on. "I was only trying to save you the need of being here when it's merely a formality."

Flitwick huffed and then saw the calculating face of Skeeter. Harry was shocked to hear a primal growl escape from his favourite teacher's throat.

"And my Apprentice will _not_ be speaking to that woman!"

"I object!" She screeched, only for her features to then smooth out into another calculating grin. "The public has a right to know about their Champions...or are you implying you have something to hide?"

"People, please," Bagman pleaded, cutting across any reply Flitwick might have offered in his desperate attempts to get the ceremony back on track.

The man reminded Harry too much of his life with the Dursleys. Before it had been an eager Vernon and now the former Quidditch star had a look of petulance that wouldn't have gone amiss on Dudley just before his whale of a cousin went into a temper tantrum. Harry was debating with himself over if he could delay the event some more to see if the big baby would stamp his feet or, even better, fall on the floor and wail when Dumbledore spoiled everything by pushing things forward.

"Yes, quite," the Headmaster coughed. There was a suspicious lack of eye-twinkle as he looked at the four Champions. "As is the case with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Mr. Ollivander here will be checking your wands to ensure they are in good enough condition before the first task."

The judges took their seats, a replacement had still not been found for the arrested Crouch, and all but the Wandmaker glared at Harry for causing a scene. Ollivander merely stepped forward with an almost playful grin tickling the corners of his mouth, and kicked the whole thing off.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first please?"

A much subdued Fleur moved closer to pass over her wand. She had not recovered from what she had seen in Harry's eyes when the Champions had been named and had been avoiding him ever since.

Ollivander took the stick with obvious care and twirled it a few times to feel its mobility. Artistic fingers ran over the smooth edge and the strange man nodded at something only he picked up.

"A nice one, my dear." He smiled at Fleur and brought it up to his ear. "Nine and a half inches, inflexible, rosewood and containing...oh my."

"One of my grandmuzzer's hairs," the French girl finished with a cutting look towards Skeeter. Harry didn't blame her for wanting her heritage to be kept quiet if the rumours were true. A questioning look towards Flitwick received a barely-there nod as an affirmative.

"I'm sure it's made the wand a little temperamental," Ollivander joked before he snapped it forward to bring forth a bunch of flowers. "A wand in fine working order, thank you."

"Merci," she took back the wand the way someone would accept a family heirloom. "Thank you."

It was Cedric's turn and the Wandmaker took it with obvious glee.

"One of mine, Mr. Diggory, and I remember it well. A quite nasty male unicorn that didn't want to give up a tail hair," he said, seeming testing the wand's bend. "Twelve and a quarter inches of ash, pleasantly springy and in fine condition. You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," Cedric offered up, beaming with pride.

Harry couldn't help grinning at the double entendre and imagined Tonks' face at the comment. The thought had him wonder how Hermione was doing and wished his friends could have been there with him.

A stream of smoke was released from the wand before it was given back and the Bulgarian Krum's turn came.

"Ah, a Gregorovitch if I'm not mistaken," and there was a sniff of distaste as Ollivander tapped along the wand's length. Harry doubted any self-respecting Wandmaker enjoyed the idea of not being the only one out there. "Hornbeam and dragon heartstring and quite thicker than one would normally have it. A quite rigid ten and a quarter inches."

A small flock of birds erupted from the wand and then it was Harry's turn to stand before the enigmatic old man. Harry withdrew his wand and spun it between his fingers so that the tip was pointing at his heart before handing it over.

Sirius had taught him the move and explained how it was only done with those you had utmost trust in. To simply hand over your wand was one thing but the pre-twirl was like arming a Muggle firearm and then handing it to another. Potential suicide when done to the wrong person.

The watching crowd rustled at the immense show of respect while Flitwick smiled at his Apprentice. Harry had done the same to him during the few occasions the half-goblin had been disarmed, and the Professor knew there were very few people Harry would ever do it to. Dumbledore frowned, not understanding what could have happened between the two for Harry to show such a bold move in public. He knew all about the boy's day in old Ollivander's shop, of course, but he was sure he was missing something.

Mr. Ollivander took the wand with a bow of his head at the gesture, one Harry returned with a genuine smile.

"Yes, how well I remember," he said with a air of reverence. The old eyes were shining with delight at holding the wand again. "A nice and supple eleven inches even of holly. Phoenix feather. This wand has seen much action, Mister Potter."

Ollivander looked over his glasses at Harry who gave another slight nod.

"It will do so again, I am sure," and once more the craftsman's fingers danced over the wooden surface. An emptiness filled Ollivander's features as he slipped away to focus entirely upon what the wand was telling him. Moments passed and Harry felt rising nerves at what could have caught the Wandmaker's attention.

Mr. Ollivander shook himself free of the spell and, with a flourish, had wine spraying out from Harry's wand. He mirrored the way Harry had given him the wand and Harry, with equal respect, gratefully took it back.

Dumbledore thanked Mr. Ollivander and the suggestion of photos had Harry scoffing. Flitwick gave a look of agreement. "I'm afraid my Apprentice will not be doing any such thing."

"He is too good for it?" Krum remarked in his heavy accent.

"Not at all," Harry flashed a bright, meaningless smile. "I want the real Champions to have the spotlight."

Harry, Flitwick and Mr. Ollivander left the room together before anyone else could speak and Harry released an explosive sigh of relief at being done with jumping through hoops.

"Master Flitwick, can I ask a favour of you?" Ollivander said the moment the door closed. Flitwick nodded and they both waited for the taller man to speak. "I feel I must speak to your Apprentice alone. I'm sure he will tell you about what I say but..."

"But you'd like it to be just the two of you," the Charms Professor finished. At Ollivander's nod he looked up at Harry. "We have a much more flexible relationship than most Masters and Apprentices do, Mister Potter, but I trust you will inform me if this ends up being something I should know?"

"Of course, sir," Harry promised as though there had not been any doubt.

"Good. And keep pushing back at Albus if he tries something like this again...the foolish man."

Flitwick nodded to Ollivander and headed off to his next class, all the while mumbling in Goblin under his breath. Harry watched him go with an amused look and then raised an eyebrow at Ollivander.

"Walk with me, please, Mister Potter."

The two took their time moving through the castle towards the Main Hall. Ollivander pointed out points of interest to Harry from when he attended Hogwarts. It was an interesting yet confusing journey, Harry had picked up nothing of importance that had been said by the time they reached the school gates.

"I wanted to give you this," Ollivander pulled out an expertly wrapped package from his robes.

Harry took it and was surprised to note how heavy it was considering its size. He carefully undid the silk covering to reveal an odd pair of wand holsters.

"That one there is the main wrist holster," Ollivander explained with a point. "The other one will fit either your other arm or leg, depending on preference. Most people do not have two wands, Mister Potter, and I am legally not allowed to sell you one if I know you already have a perfectly good wand. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Sir..." Harry stared at the gifts and then at the man, confused as to what it was about. "I don't..."

"You should not be in this Tournament," Ollivander sighed, staring back up towards Hogwarts. "And as I told you, your wand will see more action. Those holsters have anti-theft and anti-summoning charms on them, my best work in fact."

"I can pay you for them."

"No. No, Mister Potter, that will not do. Consider this an old man making amends."

Harry frowned. The sense of something missing, of something hidden in what Ollivander wasn't saying, was too strong to ignore. Yet he couldn't come up with any reason not to accept the gifts.

"Thank you, sir," he said in a soft voice. Harry was still unsure about receiving gifts but knew Sirius would be pleased with him finally having one.

"Also...you must be careful, Mister Potter," the sage old man warned as he stepped through the gates. "You've been changing a lot lately and your wand is doing its best to change with you. It will do everything it can for you but some wands are unable to travel the same road their owners go down. I fear this will be true in your case and that I shall be seeing you as a customer before too long."

With that cryptic message Mr. Ollivander spun and vanished. Harry barely registered the crack of Apparition as he worked over what he had heard. With a growl he turned and headed back towards the school.

"Can't I ever have a sane conversation with that man?" He moaned.

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oOoOo

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Harry had found his friends in the Hospital Wing enjoying a quiet talk under the critical eye of Madam Pomfrey. Neville held the hand of a much changed Hermione, whose teeth had not been returned to normal but instead shrunk a little bit more to improve her smile. Harry was pleasantly surprised to find his friend had already gotten in with a compliment over her new look. Hence the hand holding and blushes.

The next few days passed by without major incident. Harry remembered to send Narcissa Malfoy a letter, after making sure to pull from the bored Hedwig promised hoots of her being careful. The time between the beautiful owl leaving and returning to Hogwarts had the raven-headed boy on edge, his fears bringing up ever more horrible images of what would happen if Lucius got his Death Eater hands on her.

His letter had followed all Pure-blood protocols while still being heartfelt. It didn't hurt that Harry had passed on some messages from Sirius to his godfather's second favourite cousin. The end result was both Harry and Lady Malfoy knowing that neither wanted what was going to happen to the males of her family and that Black Manor was open if she ever wanted a place to stay.

Harry had been surprised when he saw the _Daily Prophet_ article about the Wand Weighing ceremony. The hack Skeeter had been under her best behaviour, giving full accounts of all the Champions' wands as well going into each of their lives. Harry couldn't help feel that the other shoe was ready to drop.

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oOoOo

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 _20th November, 1994_

"You want me to _**what**_?" Harry stared at his friends as though they'd each grown a second head.

It had started as a joke. The mixed group of students were relaxing in a communal room that had become their default request of the Room of Requirement and they'd been at doing their homework for the past few hours. Harry had been frantically working on what to do about the dragon and Tonks had suggested playing to his strengths.

Harry's joke about the dragon not being interested in a game of Catch the Snitch had resulted in a beaming Daphne and a sinking stomach.

"Just listen, Harry," the Slytherin blonde pleaded as she turned her pale eyes to Hermione. "You said that you've researched what the tasks usually are, correct?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded with a frown, brown eyes scanning back and forth as she remembered the words verbatim. "While it's not unknown for Champions of the Tri-Wizard Tournament to have to face a battle against a creature, it is more common that said beast is used as a guardian for the clue for the second task where a battle of wills or physical stamina is used by the Champions to obtain yet another goal. This trend continues with the third task having the Goblet of Fire as its focus, whether that is through some type of obstacle course or intense physical prowess, remains up to the judges' decision."

"There you go!" Daphne threw out an arm towards Hermione and beamed at Harry in a far too smug manner. "You don't have to fight the dragon, you only have to get past it."

"You want me to _OUTFLY A BLOODY DRAGON?_ " Harry cried, the others winced at the volume as well as the ridiculous of the situation.

"Yes," she calmly replied, completely unfazed by his hysteria. "I've seen a lot of people fly, Harry. Father has taken me to a lot of professional games and it's arguable if any of them can control the broom better than you can."

Harry sat back and scrubbed his palms over his face. With a heavy sigh he looked at the girl and then around the faces of the others, each looked like they were at least considering the plan.

"She's not wrong, Harry," Hermione frowned. The look of worry not matching her words. "If you only have to get whatever the dragon is guarding then a quick fly-by is possible. You would only have to avoid the fire."

"I think you're all nuts," he announced with a capitulating groan that had Daphne grinning. "Say I even think about doing this insane stunt...Morgana it's stupider than anything the Marauders did...how do I get my broom out there? It's wands only, remember."

"Now that's the easy part," Hermione grinned, happy to be on safer ground. Tracey and Daphne nodded their agreement while Neville looked like he wanted to hide and never think of dragons ever again and Harry was almost ready to do something similar. "You use _Accio_."

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oOoOo


	15. Open Wide

**AN: Don't own Harry Potter! If I did, there sure as hell would have been far less inconsistencies in the writing.**

 **It's so strange to go through these chapters in their final edits before uploading. I keep forgetting where you guys are as I'm already in year 5 with my notes taken me up to the end of the year (Canon - Order of the Phoenix).**

 **desireejones99 - Harry didn't stun Barty Junior. He hit the bastard with a very powerful disarming spell and neither Amelia nor Tonks (as Natalia) stunned him because they didn't know what was happening nor why Harry attacked "Moody". As for the interview, don't forget that Tonks being undercover is very Black Ops so she has to pretend not to know what's going on with Harry. My reasoning is that both Fudge and Dumbles could push either/both women to lose their jobs if this is found out. Glad you enjoyed the Rita scene.**

 **Biowind - Thanks for the review and I like your guess at why Narcissa is a main character. Hopefully you enjoy what happens with her later in the story.**

 **Caraline Fisher - You'll see Harry's reaction to Ron here but it's not what you'd be expecting.**

 **raynisia - Draco is in a world of hurt before he learns his lesson. If he even does.**

 **projectjay - Your Horcrux question is answered below. The Potter money won't be a problem.**

 **Lulu Olufemi - I always saw the Wizarding world as being far ahead of the Muggle when it comes to babies and birth. There's no way one of the Pure-blood Houses would allow themselves to die out if someone ends up being born sterile. So a male/male or female/female relationship is not a line killer. It might be frowned upon by society but it wouldn't stop reproduction.**

 **For all those wondering about the story I mentioned (Season of Change) It's - s/9928419/1/Season-of-Change by Branchwraith. It's a very good story (and I'll keep reading it) but it does tend to stay too far away from the Riddle problem for me.**

 **And now I'll shut up and let you enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

Open Wide

 _The Brothers Three took the Thestral foal and raised it as Death had instructed. The eldest was desperate for the foal to grow, his desire for the power of Death's weapons overriding what remained of his inner peace._

 _The second son was filled with nerves over the potential of the Power they were preparing to touch. He knew that to cross Death meant to have the Power turn on them and for all their dreams to crumble into dust._

 _The youngest took over the care of the foal for he loved it the way he had loved his departed family. Every morning the brother would brush the Thestral down, smoothing out the coat in soothing caresses._

 _Time past and each aspect of the brothers three grew until it consumed them. For they had been touched by Death and the mark of Death remains long after its passing._

 _The eldest fell into madness. His dreams were consumed with the dark and he drowned in the desire for revenge. No longer was it about protection. Instead he sought to strike first and leave fear in his wake._

 _The younger brothers woke one night to find the now adult Thestral slaughtered. It's powerful blood seeping into the grounds of Peverell Manor._

" _Come, my brothers." Antioch the Elder commanded. "Take up your arms and let us do what Death has commanded. I will my instrument of War"_

" _And I." Cadmus the Second declared. "Will shape my instrument of Spiritual Hunger."_

" _My brothers, we have wronged." Ignotus the Younger cried. "I will wear the Cover of Death and my forever shall my green eyes see the truth of our betrayal."_

 **[ Extract from the _Potter Book_ ]**

 _24th November, 1994_

The morning of the first task came faster than Harry would have liked. Professor Flitwick had agreed with him using the broom against the dragon - "If that is what you believe you are facing, Mister Potter, who am I to discourage you?" Had been the reply – and his reduced schedule certainly allowed Harry to put in enough practice to feel somewhat confident in his ability to summon his Firebolt.

The atmosphere of the school was charged with excitement and nerves. Harry's interaction with the rest of the students had been mild in the weeks after his name coming out of the Goblet. The combination of his oath and now having within each House had limited the negative reactions to mostly apathetic ones. Something that he was extremely grateful.

His non-lion friends had all given him well wishes and the Gryffindor trio were doing their best to talk of mundane things during the nervous breakfast. The Weasley twins were loudly taking bets on who would be in what place at the end of the task while arguing with each other over which ridiculous situation was most likely.

George won with the most laughs with his rampaging herd of unicorns that could only be countered by serenading Snape.

Any good mood Harry possessed was utterly destroyed when the sound of post owls signalled the arrival of the _Daily Prophet._ The front page headline screamed **The Boy-Who-Lies!** and it only got worse from there.

Harry read the character assassination and his deep anger bubbled and fought to be free of its chains. It detailed how he lied about a harsh childhood in order to gain sympathy – _that way the teachers will mark his work higher than it's mediocre quality deserved_ one source proclaimed – as well as rambling about the 'real' reason he put his name in the Goblet – his obsessive drive to prove his worthiness as the Boy-Who-Lived.

The article finished detailing Harry's lack of control when faced with the truth of his ego and how he had 'maliciously, and without mercy, beaten a Gryffindor student who, not only outperformed Harry Potter in all areas, but called him out on the cheating to gain access to the Tournament. It was only through the heroic deeds of the Hogwarts' nurse that the student could recover from the severe attack.'

"See, Potter?" Shouted the name at the top of Harry's suspect list. "Now the whole country knows what you're really like!"

Harry turned his head to glare down at the Gryffindor table to lock onto the smirking face of one Ronald Weasley. Those between the two former friends quickly shifted out of the way of the feral look. At the other end of the table, the idiot's twin brothers were staring at the boy as though they had never seen the real Ron before.

Harry couldn't explain what made him snap. Perhaps it was the truly nasty chuckle, perhaps it was the glint in Ron's eyes, while his friends all believed it was what had been written about his childhood. Whatever the answer, Harry was up and stalking towards his target in the blink of an eye, wand shooting out of his new holster as though eager to be used.

There was a momentary flash of fear in Weasley's eyes before Harry found himself slammed into a wall by the stronger Neville. Harry was no slouch, the potion regime and exercises giving him a strength he never had before, but his friend had always been a hard worker. Months and years of toiling in greenhouses, fighting against plants that fought back, had taught Neville a control over his body that Harry still had yet to learn. It all meant that no matter how hard Harry tried to break free, the sympathetic-eyed Longbottom held him still.

"This isn't the way," Neville demanded with worry marking his features. "Harry, listen to me. You've can't afford to do this. Not this way."

The wild look faded slowly from Harry's eyes and with it the Avada glow. He turned away from Ron, the idiot having puffed up his chest as though never concerned for his safety, and stared daggers towards the teachers' table.

"Tell me, Headmaster," Harry's voice carried over the Hall and all eyes were upon them. "What will be Hogwarts' response to the disgusting drivel that woman wrote?"

"Throwing your toys out of your pram, Potty?" The too familiar voice of Malfoy shouted from his place at the head of Slytherin table, though everyone ignored him. It had not yet sunk into the delusional minds of the two fools that the article was an attack upon the Scion of a Noble and Most Ancient House.

"Scion Malfoy, your words are as meaningless as your existence!" Neville responded, for the first time picking up the mantle of his own House. "Kindly keep quiet, the adults are talking."

The shock of it being Neville who shut Malfoy down was matched by that Malfoy felt at the glare Snape had sent him.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said in a condescending tone, his arms opening wide as though to show his inability to act. Very few in the Hall believed him. "There is nothing that Hogwarts is able to do."

"That a school as famous as Hogwarts allows her students to be treated like this in the press is a sad state of affairs, Headmaster," Harry snarled through grounded teeth. He nodded to Neville that he was in control and straighten his robes like any Pure-blood Lord as soon as he was released. "Very well then, I'll sort this out as a Scion to House Potter. If you'll excuse me, I have a task to prepare for."

Harry calmly walked towards the Hall's exit, refusing to even look at the red-headed scum. At each table students rose to follow their friend in a mass show of support.

He stopped opposite the shaken twins and gave them a regretful look.

"Fred, George," He nodded to each. "Please remind your father that he swore House Weasley's allegiance to House Potter."

Their already paled faces completely lost colour at what Harry had said and they barely managed to nod as the multi-House group left the Great Hall. Everyone stared at Ron, whose inflated ego was only beginning to realise that maybe, just maybe, he had done something wrong.

"Albus?" McGonagall asked, almost pleading for the elder wizard to explain.

"It's obvious, Minerva," Flitwick answered with undisguised glee. "My Apprentice is taking his destiny into his own hands."

Neither noticed the slight twitch from Dumbledore and Snape at the choice of words.

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oOoOo

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Harry had still not recovered by the time he had been called to deal with the first task. He had listened to Daphne and Tracey's plan to deal with the _Prophet's_ article and had to grudgingly admit it was the best solution. Luna promised to have her interview materials ready at the end of the task and he had painfully accepted what was to come.

 _So not only do I have to face a dragon. I also have to face my childhood_. He winced at the idea but had eventually agreed with their arguments. It was too easy for the Skeeter woman to get away with her articles when no one knew anything about him.

Harry walked to face his task alongside a silent McGonagall. The Transfiguration Professor had not been able to hide a pensive look since the _Prophet_ had made its appearance but, as of yet, had failed to comment. She attempted to change that fact when they neared the Champions' tent.

"Potter, I'm sorry for what you've had to deal with today," her voice was clipped, measured to a level that showed how much she was forcing control on herself.

"Thank you, Professor," his cold reply causing her to wince. It was clear how much he didn't believe her words.

"It seems there is always something," she sighed. "As you pointed out to me before, there seems to always be always something you're forced to face."

"Professor, may I speak freely?" He asked as they came to the tent's flap. Harry's look almost had her say no, to keep whatever thought he was going to give from being aired. Yet McGonagall somehow found herself nodding. "I respect you as a teacher, as a woman, but the Headmaster is not after my best interests. That you support him means neither are you."

Harry entered the tent before she had a chance to react and it was with a heavy heart that the Head of Gryffindor walked away. Minerva McGonagall was being torn apart by her split loyalties and the parting words only confounded her emotional turmoil.

Harry entered the Champions' tent with his face in that of a blank mask, his thoughts carefully hidden by his meditation training. Fleur Delacour was sitting on a chair staring off into space, though not quite as composed as usual. Krum looked his angry self while Cedric was pacing like a nervous animal. All three gave Harry some type of reaction upon seeing him, no doubt from the morning's events, but he forced himself to be calm and nodded to each.

"Harry! Good show," Bagman beamed and Harry was sorely tempted to punch the annoying git. "Now we can get this wonderful event on the road. If you four will gather round? That's it, don't be shy, and I'll tell you what you need to know."

Harry and Cedric shared a knowing look as the Champions crowded Bagman. The Hufflepuff seemed to be even less impressed by the enthusiasm than Harry was.

"In a minute I'll be handing you a bag and you'll be withdrawing the type of...obstacle...that you'll be facing for us today. Your goal is to get the golden egg!"

 _Nesting mothers._ Harry groaned beneath his breath. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose at the stupidity of the Tournament organisers. He had heard, unofficially, from Tonks that Amelia Bones had blown her top at the idea of teenagers facing dragons and each of them would be hit with as many fire-proof spells as possible before they entered the arena. With the extra security to prevent Barty Crouch Junior from making an appearance, the hope was to keep all dangers to a minimum.

Somehow Dumbledore had convinced the Minister and the general public that the extra steps had been his ideas all along.

"Your turn, Harry!" Bagman's grating voice brought him out of his thoughts and Harry looked up to see the others had already taken their miniature dragons.

Fleur seemed relieved to get the Chinese Fireball while Cedric had to go first against a Swedish Short-Snout. Harry looked to Krum to see the large boy frowning at the angry looking duplicate of a Hungarian Horntail. Harry was grateful that he wouldn't have to face the larger version when even the model looked ready to rip them to pieces. With barely a shake to his hand, Harry reached into the bag and withdrew a rather put out copy of a Welsh Green.

"Excellent!" Bagman clapped his hands and did a little jump. None of the Champions agreed with his assessment. "You each have a number on your little dragon and that will be the order you each go out. I must leave you now, I'm the commentator for this grand adventure, but Harry...? Can I have a quick word? Outside?"

Harry blinked at the request. His mind was stuck in neutral at seeing the reality of what he had been training for and he numbly shrugged, allowing Bagman to lead him out of the tent towards a cluster of trees.

"Everything okay, Harry?" The infuriating man whispered and Harry scrunched up his noise at Bagman's breath. "Got a game plan in place? I don't mind helping you here...you're the underdog and no one has to know."

The shock of what Bagman was suggesting pulled Harry out of his stupor and he growled. "I'm fine, _sir_. You did say you had to get to the announcer's booth, didn't you?"

Bagman jerked back at the harsh tone and Harry was sure that he saw a flicker of fear in the man's eyes. Without saying another word he turned and stormed off, leaving Harry shaking his head in disbelief.

He made it back to the tent just as Cedric was leaving and the two Hogwarts students shared a silent moment of camaraderie before continuing their different paths. Harry sat in the tent and listened as the crowd cheered, screamed, gasped and any other number of noises as they watched a seventeen year-old boy face off against a dragon.

All too soon it was Harry's turn and he rose from his chair. After some deep breaths, in a futile attempt to calm his racing heart, Harry left the tent to follow the steps of his schoolmate. As soon as he approached the Champions' side of the enclosure, an Auror stepped forward to cast the protection spells.

There was no real way of protecting oneself from a dragon, unless you were talking about avoiding it all together, but the spells would give them all a brief window to get medical attention. _Yay for research._ Harry thought sarcastically.

The Auror nodded that he was done and stepped back to allow Harry to take the final steps into the arena. The Welsh Green wasn't the largest dragon in the world, and thankfully not the most aggressive, though that didn't help Harry's nerves and he quickly hid behind a rock before the creature decided to investigate him.

" _Accio_ Firebolt!" Harry shouted, wand pointed towards the castle, and fought down the urge to rid his precious broom out of the arena to somewhere safe. He could only imagine what his friends were feeling as they watched and wondered how Remus was keeping Padfoot from summoning _him_ out of arena.

All too soon the Firebolt arrived and Harry slid his leg over the broom. The action helped him focus and, once he was airborne, the nerves dropped away as he zoomed and dashed around the arena to get the Welsh to leave her earthly brown coloured eggs.

Bagman's commentary was meaningless, the noise from the crowd just added noise that merged with the wind as Harry flew. He couldn't help breaking into a grin as he pulled off one manoeuvrer after another. The truth was that he loved to fly. He felt as though he was born for it. Harry didn't know whether he was distracted by the thrill or perhaps the Green's accuracy with her narrow jets of flame was simply too good. And it really didn't matter, the end result was the same.

A jet shot past Harry, singeing his left shoulder, and his body jerked from the pain. The movement snapped the Firebolt's flight hard and sent its tail directly into the dragon's follow-up burst. The twigs were quickly consumed and the flames raced up the broom as Harry dived to the ground, landing hard and painfully behind a crop of rocks as the broom was taken out of existence.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

A hush sucked out all sound from the crowd as Harry barely escaped the burning broom before the flames caught his robes.

Hermione buried herself against Neville's chest to hide her tears, his firm one-armed hug the only way she kept standing. Tonks had hidden in the shadows, knowing the stress of watching Harry would push her control to its limit, and she was lucky that no one saw her hair flicker through a variety of colours as she watched the boy who had become her closest friend free-fall behind the rocks. A black grim barked in fear and it was only the strength of a friendly werewolf that kept it from racing into the arena in blind desperation.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Harry hurt. Admittedly it wasn't near the top of his list of pains, but he thought that if he survived the task then it certainly be up there. He had landed hard on his burnt shoulder and heard something _snap,_ the result being the arm now hung weakly at his side. Harry looked at it glumly and thought that if it was only dislocated then he would be lucky. Breathing was difficult as the stitch from hell jarred the same side every time he tried to pull air into his lungs. Yet the pain was nothing compared to what he looked over to the last charred fragments of his Firebolt turn to dust. Tears threatened to overwhelm Harry at the thought of never being able to hold the beloved broom again.

He had loved his Nimbus. The broom that had given him his first ever feeling of peace as he used its speed to soar the Quidditch pitch, but the Firebolt was different. Whatever problems it's arrival the previous Christmas had caused between himself and Hermione, it had been the very first gift Harry had received from family. It had been proof that he was loved, that he had a place he belonged, and watching its ashes float away broke something deep inside him. A hope, a dream, he didn't know what it was but he felt the mental and emotional snap as surely as he had felt the physical one when he landed.

The rage that had been so close to the surface from that morning burst forth. He wasn't able to get his hands on Ron for bringing his childhood into the public eye but he was able to get the creature that had destroyed the proof of Padfoot's love.

The arena was filled with a primal roar. A scream born of such pain and fury that those who understood such things were brought to tears. The watching crowd stood dumbstruck as Harry appeared, obviously injured, with his wand pointed at the dragon.

 _{{"You stupid beast. I'll make you pay for what you've done! Confringo! Reducto! Deprimo!"}}_

The crowd only heard the feared hiss of Parseltongue as Harry alternated between casting and ranting at the dragon. Yet even in his blind fury his training and research with his friends didn't abandon him. A Conjunctivitis Curse sent the Green leaning back in a roar of agony as its eyes burned and the mixture of blasting and piercing curses were all aimed at the membranes of her wings.

Even the added strength of a magical language such as Parseltongue would only cause the spells to irritate a dragon if they hit the scaly hide full on. But, like medieval armour, there was always a weak spot. A dragon's membranes weren't as protected as its skin, designed more for flight than anything else, and Harry's attacks sent the Welsh Green reeling back in pain.

She crushed her own eggs, destroying her nest to leave the golden trinket alone, but Harry's anger was not to be denied. There was a lull in his casting where the one-eyed animal and furious boy took measure of each other. A stand-off between two unrelenting force.

And then both took the final shot.

The Green took in a deep breath to roast her attacker while Harry poured every ounce of magic and strength he could into a single spell.

 _{{"REDUCTO!"}}_

The spell flew past the sharp teeth and impacted the fleshy surface at the top of the Green's throat. The spell blasted through muscle and bone, sending fragments shooting into the skull and piercing the brain, killing the dragon dead before it could release its final flame.

No one spoke. There was no Bagman commentary as Harry somehow staggered over to the golden egg and scooped it up. His steps grew heavier as he forced himself to walk towards the medical tent and a wide-eyed Pomfrey. He didn't notice the blood seeping out of his ears nor when it trickled from his nose. Harry's skin had turned deathly pale and his smile of victory was more a grimace, blood coating his teeth from internal injuries. Pomfrey's wince at the sight was the last thing Harry knew as he collapsed, the darkness taking him before his body crashed to the ground.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _Later that evening_

"May I come in, Minerva?" Flitwick asked when the physically and emotionally exhausted McGonagall opened her office door.

She was unable to bring herself to reply. Instead, the usually controlled Scotswoman turned away from her long time friend and shuffled towards her desk. Flitwick followed with a bottle of Ogden's Finest in his hands and the glasses were waiting for him by the time he was seated.

"You look like shit, Minnie," he announced, pouring a healthy measure of Firewhiskey into each glass. He carefully looked at the Head of Gryffindor. "And I mean that with all my love."

"You always were a charmer, Filius," she snorted before scooping up her glass and knocking back half its contents. "How is he?"

"Barely alive. Mostly stable," Filius took careful sips of his own drink. "Poppy said he used all of his magic in that big blast of his. Damn near ripped his body apart."

"I didn't think it was possible," she confessed. She had still not focused on Flitwick and his worry grew as the minutes past. "I've seen magical exhaustion, of course, but what Potter did? I thought the stories of someone doing that were exaggerations."

"I think a lot of people will have the same reaction to today."

"The last thing he told me," Minerva's voice cracked and Filius felt he was coming to what was truly bothering her. "Was that he didn't consider me to have his best interests at heart."

"But you do."

"O' course I do!" She snapped, her thick accent slipping out, and she looked at him properly for the first time. "Jus' because I support Albus doona mean I don't support Harry!"

"I think it does, Minnie," he told her after a moment's pause. The sadness for his friend weighing his own words down. "Albus, whether by action or inaction, has done more to harm that boy than almost anyone else, and he continues to do so."

McGonagall said nothing and the two sat in silence until she confessed her deepest sin.

"I was there," was the tear-filled whisper. "I was there the night he left them with those horrible Muggles and I let him. I believed in him."

"And now?"

"O' course I don't!" The passion returned back to her eyes and there was some colour to her cheeks at last. "How could you ask that?"

"You have to ask?" Flitwick returned with a raise of a bushy eyebrow. She had the good graces to look sheepish and he took another drink so to plan his next words. "Minnie, you've spread yourself too thin. Head of House _and_ Deputy Head? You can't do this and look after your Gryffindors the way you want."

It was an old argument between the two and Harry's revelation of the Ravenclaw bullying had only cemented Flitwick's opinion on the matter. If he could miss something like that then what was Minerva missing with her extra workload?

This time there was no immediate denial. Instead Minerva sighed and leaned back in her chair, an air of defeat pressing down on her. She lifted the glass to her forehead.

"He's out of control and disrespectful," she tried defending herself only to be brought up short by her friend's scoff.

"Now you sound like Severus," Flitwick chided. "You must think about the boy's life. Muggles that didn't care for him, a Wizarding world that only cares about his fame and fortune. Albus has made himself my Apprentice's enemy and before I took him on, all he had was his position as Scion Potter, his friends and a fugitive godfather. He's working with what he knows. What he believes he has."

"Is that why you took on?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I took him on because you didn't," and for the first time there was anger in the half-goblin's voice towards his friend. "Pomona is a good woman but she has too much going on. Severus, for all his changes, would never openly back a Potter, and you've been bouncing between outrage and defence of Albus. I wanted the young man to have someone he could rely on completely while living here."

"I'm set in my ways, Filius," McGonagall confessed through half-closed eyes. "Youngsters should always be respectful to adults, it was the one rule I could never break as a child."

"His parents are James and Lily with Remus and Sirius as unofficial uncles, You can't get much more anti-establishment than those four."

The two shared knowing smiles at their memories of the four friends.

"He's learning to be an Animagus, isn't he?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Filius laughed at her scowl of disapproval.

"He knows the meditations and I think he's awakened his animal but he hasn't shared what that is. If he even knows it."

She nodded and put the glass down so that she could pull open the bottom draw of her desk. It was specially charmed to only respond to her as the contents were too important for anyone to access, and pulled out a leather-bound book.

"Give him this, please?" She asked her friend as she handed over the book. Flitwick took it and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw what it was. He listened as she spoke further.

"It took two years for James to break into my desk for that book but he was determined. When I caught him and he confessed they knew about Remus and what they planned to do...I simply couldn't stand by and let them do it alone."

"You let him have this?" Filius knew the value of the book and his surprise grew at the story.

"Oh no. I sent him packing," she smirked and for a brief moment there was a flash of Minerva the student in her expression. "It just so happens that the next time he tried, I'd forgotten to set my strongest ward on the drawer."

The little man laughed heartedly. _This_ was the woman he knew. Not the conflicted one that he had seen the last few years.

"I don't know if I can change habits of a lifetime, Filius," she admitted once he had calmed down. "But I'll do my best."

He nodded. It was all he could ask for towards his Apprentice.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _26th November, 1994._

Harry slowly came to consciousness in the familiar surroundings of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. He felt strangely hollow inside and faintly noticed the familiar sensation of the last hours of Skele-Gro. The ward was barely lit, the windows dark, and he attempted to pull himself into a more upright position. The resulting groan had the relieved face of Remus coming from the side.

"Don't you ever do that again, Cub!" Moony demanded, gentle hands guiding Harry into a more comfortable spot. The Marauder slid on Harry's glasses, gave a wink that was more habit than humorous, and went to fetch Madam Pomfrey.

Harry was attempting to replay his fragmented memories in the hope of finding out what had put him back in the nurse's tender mercies when she appeared. There was no wisecracks about him not taking care of himself or putting his name above the bed. Instead the matron stared at him and he was shocked to see how bad she looked even in the low light.

"You look terrible," he croaked, shocked at how raspy his voice was. "How bad?"

"If the DMLE hadn't had extra doctors on hand, you would have died," she told him, slipping into the familiar routine of her diagnostic spells. "You almost completely emptied your magical core, destabilising it in the process, and the stress caused massive internal trauma. That's not including the impact damage from your landing."

Harry closed his eyes at the news and his body began to tremble. A hand slipped into his, Remus', and he struggled to hold himself together.

"I lost my temper. I didn't mean to do it."

"Why, Cub?" Moony needed to understand what had happened. Not just for his own peace of mind but the frantic Padfoot who was only being kept from storming Hogwarts by three very determined, and worried, elves. "What could have possessed you to do something like that?"

"Firebolt." Harry rasped, finally remembering everything. He looked into into the gentle man's eyes in a silent plea for understanding. "After the _Prophet_ article..."

Mooney nodded with a sigh, he could piece it all together now.

"You're on the road to recover, Harry," Pomfrey interrupted and they pretended she hadn't used his first name. "Your impact injuries are healed and your magical core is stable. You'll be weak for a while and I can't let you perform any magic stronger than a _Lumos_ right now. But the danger has past."

Harry nodded as his eyes drifted shut and slipped back to sleep. Remus looked towards the nurse, fear scaring his features more than the weight of his Lycanthrophy, and she answered the unasked question.

"He's extremely lucky, Remus. There won't be any physical weaknesses once he's fully healed and it's a miracle his magic wasn't harmed."

Remus thanked her and slipped out of the wing. He had a frantic godfather to speak to.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _3rd December, 1994._

Harry had been surprised to learn he had been unconscious for two days before the small conversation with Remus and Pomfrey. Over the next few days he grew stronger and spent more time awake than asleep.

He learned that Sirius had needed to be stunned and elf-popped back to Grimmauld Place when Harry collapsed and it had almost broken the Marauders friendship. Only when Padfoot had regained his senses at the mention of being Kissed and never again seeing Harry was he able to see calm down. A late night mirror-talk had eased both their hearts and Harry had even smiled at Padfoot's rant over being willing to buy him the entire Firebolt company if he promised not to go near another dragon ever again. Harry slept peacefully and with a smile that night.

Skeeter had taken the show of power, killing of the dragon and Parseltongue rantings to label him the next Dark Lord. It was something Dumbledore actually seemed to partially believe if his disappointing lecture at Harry's act of 'cold hearted murder' was anything to go by.

Harry was glad of Remus' presence for _that_ conversation. He wasn't particularly trusting in the Headmaster when he was unable to protect himself.

His friends had rallied around him and all the Gryffindors had come to visit once the news spread that Harry was on the mend. Ron had even turned up only to stop at the Wing's entrance. The two former friends stared at each other before Weasley turned and left. No one said anything about it.

An announcement over a Yule Ball had sent the school into a tizzy but as everyone was running around looking for a date, Harry, Luna and Tonks were alone in the Hospital Wing preparing something with far less pleasure.

"Are you sure, Harry?" The little blond asked again, her wide eyes clearly showing that she was ready to abandon the idea completely.

Tonks slipped her Natalia hand into Harry's. He gave both girls a weak smile and nodded, ready for the, hopefully, cathartic release. Luna had a Dict-a-Quill ready and gave her own nod, letting Harry know he could begin when ready.

What followed was an excruciating few hours of Harry's childhood, in as painful detail as he could force himself to share. The two girls had broken into painful sobs long before the end but Harry, like against the dragon, had refused to quit until he had nothing left to give.

In the ultimate show of good faith, Harry left it up to Luna how much or how little would be shared in her Quibbler article. The friends didn't notice the three large sets of eyes watching and listening from the shadows.

Madam Pomfrey suspiciously made an appearance just as the words had stopped and the tears dried. The stern look told them all that visiting time was over and each girl gave Harry a bone-crushing hug.

"Come back tonight," Harry whispered to Tonks who pulled back and gave him a searching look. She finally nodded once and Harry leaned back to doze, the emotional exhaustion pulling him easily into a slumber.

By the time Tonks slipped back into the Hospital Wing, Harry was awake and staring down at something in his hand. She could see the faint blue light it gave off and simply stood to watch him.

"How'd you avoid the patrols?" He whispered without looking up from the potion. She moved closer and only replied once she stood beside his bed.

"Nymphadora Tonks only passed her Auror stealth exam through being a metamorphmagus," She explained. "I admit it can upset your centre of gravity but it's not nearly as bad as I've made out."

He chuckled something that resembled 'Slytherin.'

"Mum's idea," she confessed, sheepishly. A tinge colouring her cheeks despite her control. "She felt I would need an ace-in-the-hole."

Silence followed even as she saw his smirk illuminated by the potion's glow. She was about to ask if he was okay when he spoke. "I want you to teach me how to be a girl."

Tonks blinked. She had never really expected him to take the potion. "You're going to take it?"

"Do you know what I realised?" He rhetorically asked, finally looking up from the vial so she could see the depth of his pain. "Harry Potter will always be followed by his past. There's too much to his legacy; he's a name that was built on something he had no control over that people want to either use for their own good or destroy for their own pleasure."

"He has friends." She supplied softly as she carefully sat on the edge of the bed to watch him carefully. She wasn't sure if she was happy or sad about his decision.

"He does," Harry admitted with a frown. "But Melania will have her own."

"Harry...are you sure?" The look on her disguised face clearly showing her concerns.

"When Sirius taught me about the political history of the Blacks and Potters, do you know what I worked out?" Harry waited for her quiet 'no' before continuing. "My ancestors might have been from a powerful family but they each made their own mark. People looked at them as individuals as well as their family name."

"And Harry Potter," Tonks heavily sighed, closing her eyes in growing realisation. "Doesn't have that luxury."

"Nat, every time I say I am Scion Potter, I am able to make a choice that defines _me,_ " he pushed with a raised voice only to wince and glance towards Pomfrey's office. "But I will always be the Boy-Who-Lived. I will never stand for anything without the legacy of surviving my parents' killer paraded around for people to gawk at."

"What can I do?" Nymphadora Tonks, Daughter of Black, capitulated. She heard the core of his despair, the need to be part of a family even if that family had its own issues. By very definition, the Boy-Who-Lived didn't have that.

"I'm still shaky on my feet," Harry confessed with obvious frustration. "I need to get to the Room before I take this."

"Isn't this the best place to take something like that?"

"You're the one who told me how eventful having your metamorph abilities forced can be," he reminded her and she blushed furiously at the obviousness.

Tonks stood and carefully wrapped an arm around Harry to help him stand, pausing to let the rubbery feeling in his legs pass. They carefully threw on his invisibility cloak and took painfully small steps on the way to change Harry's life forever.

By the time they reached the Room of Requirement, Harry was able to walk almost normally with her support.

"I take it Madam Bones still has you assigned as my bodyguard?" He asked breathlessly.

"Even more so, hot stuff," She confirmed with a smirk. "The boss wasn't happy about your little stunt. Apparently she thinks I'm able to talk sense into your crazy arse."

Harry chuckled at Tonks' tone of disbelief. "What happened to the dragon?"

"She confiscated it on your behalf - Your kill, your trophy – though I can tell you the dragon reserve _and_ Dumbledore hated the idea."

Harry nodded. She carefully leaned him against the wall near the Room's magical opening and only moved away only when she was sure he wouldn't collapse.

"Have it broken down and stuck in the Potter vault," he told her as he struggled to fight back the shaky feeling that threatened to overwhelm his still weak body. It was the only thing he could think of to do with a dragon's corpse. "How would you like to accompany me to the Yule Ball?"

Tonks stumbled in her attempt to open the Room, the question surprising her enough that there was a quick flicker of colour change to her hair.

"Excuse me?"

"What better way to protect my body?" He gave a weak version of his lop-sided grin that vanished beneath the glare sent his way. "I want to go with someone who knows me, Nat. And you're apparently going to be seeing the very real me in a few minutes."

Tonks had to admit that Harry was right. She doubted that there was anyone else he would have allowed to be there with him for the change. Not for the first time she was forced to remind herself that she wasn't really a fifteen year-old girl.

"Just don't make me regret it, kid," She sighed dramatically as though it was a huge favour he had asked for. "Now shut up so I can make your torture chamber."

"Yes, ma'am!" Harry snapped with a weak salute.

The room ended up being a cosy thing. It was partly based off what Tonks had been told was the Black Study and contained a few comfortable chairs, a calming fire and bookshelves containing obscure titles. She guided Harry inside and straight to the chaise longue.

"You have posh tastes," he commented with a smirk as Tonks stepped back and his humour didn't take away her frown of concern.

"Black tastes," she growled, eyeing his hand as he reached into his pocket to withdraw the entire reason for their foolish journey.

Harry popped open the vial and lifted it in a toast. "To Black tastes!"

With not a single pause, much to her surprise and awe, Harry threw back the potion. Immediately he began to cough as the foul taste assaulted his tongue. Tonks was quickly kneeing to keep him from coughing himself off the seat.

"Bloody potions," he wheezed. "The first person to find out how to give them better flavour should be worshipped as a god."

She had a chance to weakly laugh at the joke before everything was forgotten as he screamed.

The pain was unlike anything Harry had ever experienced. His mind whited-out, unable to process anything more than the sensation of every nerve exploding in agony at the same time. Muscles misfired to cause his body to jerk and jump and Tonks was forced to pull him to the floor. Harry's eyes had glazed over and she desperately fought to keep him from driving the back of his head against the hard floor

"Harry! Harry!" She cried, wishing with everything she had that she'd stopped him from taking the damned potion. "I swear I'm going to kill Sirius! Talk to me, Harry. Please! Just talk to me."

Harry finally ceased screaming. The pain continued to rip through him, destroying any thought before it could even begin, but it now kept his body from taking in enough air to voice the agony. Tonks was frozen in fear, desperate to get him medical attention, yet completely convinced that he would die if she stepped out of the Room.

The entire event took less than five minutes yet both would always swear it had really taken hours.

Eventually the potion finished its job and the violent seizures eased to leave Harry gulping for air. His eyes cleared enough to focus on the tear-soaked face, true face of Nymphadora Tonks. From somewhere he found the energy to raise a hand and cup her cheek, even going so far as to give a weak smile.

"Hey, you."

"Wotcha," she attempted to smile back only to burst into a fresh breakdown and bury her head against his chest in relief.

Harry ran a hand through her dark hair, amazed at the softness of it. His mind was still piecing itself together after the pain and he could fully understand what had happened to Neville's parents. At the pain's peak he would have done anything to have it stop.

"Help...help me sit...please," he coughed.

She quickly sat up and helped ease Harry into a sitting position with his back against the chair. He gave her a smile at seeing her real face for the first time. She had the aristocratic features like most Blacks and her puffy eyes were a vibrant purple that fascinated him.

"You shouldn't hide your eyes," he mumbled, closing his own in exhaustion. Tonks blushed heavily and blamed the comment on him being delirious.

They sat in silence until Harry suddenly hissed, his scar hurting the same way as it did around Riddle's spirit. It was the last straw for Harry's stomach and Tonks barely got him onto his side before he brought up everything he had eaten that day. The pain grew and his abused throat was forced to cry out again.

Tonks had had enough. This was too much and she knew Harry needed help. As she rose to find help a pale figure materialised in front of her, stopping her cold. Tonks couldn't help but gawk at the appearance of the Grey Lady.

"You must stay, Child of Black." The Ravenclaw ghost demanded. "He will need you now more than ever."

Harry's scream cut off anything Tonks was going to say and she spun around to see a black puss bursting free from the famous scar.

Harry knew nothing except the pain and the fear that somehow Riddle had slipped into Hogwarts and was nearby. He tried warning Tonks when the visions began.

 _He was running across the fetid bedroom, his long white hands dug into the windowsill as he was forced to watch the bald man and the little woman twist and vanish. He screamed with impotent rage..._

 _...The night was wet and windy, two children dressed as pumpkins ran past him and everywhere he looked were tawdry Muggle trappings of a world they didn't believe in..._

 _...He glided along the dark street with a purpose the fools around him couldn't imagine. He was filled with the sense of power and rightness that always came in these moments...Not anger...never that weak emotion...but triumph? Oh yes, that he felt. He had waited for this moment, he had hoped for it..._

 _...The boy runs towards him, congratulating him on his costume only to turn and flee in fear...he ran a long finger over the handle of his wand knowing that a simple movement would stop the child from ever reaching the unsuspecting mother...No, no need...quite unnecessary..._

 _...Along a darker street he glides and now he sees his destination at last...He moves level with the dark hedge and peers over it..._

 _...The curtains are open. The tall black-haired man in glasses makes puffs of coloured smoke from his wand for the amusement of the small black-haired boy...Blue pyjamas. Ridiculous...The child laughs as he attempts to catch the smoke, to hold onto the immaterial in his tiny fist..._

 _...A door opens and the red-headed mother enters the room, speaking words he cannot hear. The long hair falls over her face, obscuring the features. And now the father scoops the child up, passing it over to the mother, and then discards his wand onto the couch..._

 _...The gate creaked a little as he pushed it open but the foolish James Potter hears nothing. His white hand elegantly removes his wand from beneath his cloak and points it at the door. It is easy, too easy, as the door bursts open and he is across the threshold as the wandless James sprints into the hall..._

 _..."Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"..._

 _..He laughs before casting the fabled curse...The green light fills the cramped hallway, illuminating the wooden bannisters and bouncing off picture frames..._

 _...James Potter falls like a broken marionette. He can hear her sweet screams coming from upstairs, trapped and scared...but she would be safe as long as she behaved...as long as she was sensible he would be done with his business and leave her to her misery..._

 _...He climbed the steps, enjoying the sound of her attempts at barricading herself in...she had no wand either...How stupid they were, how trusting, thinking their safety laid in friends and that their weapons could be discarded even for a moment. Even if they had no chance of defeating him..._

 _...He smashed through the door and past the ruined furniture with a swat of power. She dropped her son into the crib and threw her arms wide, as though it would help, as if in shielding the babe from his sight would work. As though she hoped to be chosen instead..._

 _..."Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"..._

 _..."Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now."_

 _..."Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead..."_

 _..."This is my last warning..."_

 _..."Not harry! Please...have mercy... have mercy...Not Harry! Not Harry! Please... I'll do anything..."_

 _...He could have forced her away from the crib but he had done as he promised. The foolish woman had been given her chance and now he would finish them all, as was the prudent thing to do... The green light lit the room and she dropped like her husband. Like so many before them..._

 _..The child had not cried all this time. It stood, clutching the bars of its crib, with little smudges of blood upon its brow... He scoffed...no magic could protect from him, no shield could defend against his weapon..._

 _...He pointed the wand carefully at the boy's face. He wanted to see it happen, the destruction of this one, inexplicable danger. It started to cry...he hated crying, he could never stomach the noise of the little ones at the orphanage...He spoke the words and then he broke...he became nothing, nothing but pain and terror..._

"Harry! Harry!" Tonks screams finally broke through the visions.

She had been forced to watch as the puss leaked from Harry's wound was followed by a dark, malevolent smoke. The room around them shuddered, as though repulsed by what was occurring within its walls, and then changed into a type of endless storage room. They were surrounded by mountains of random stuff and then an evil scream sounded from the smoke. It rushed off down a corridor of the junk much to Tonks' horror.

She looked down at the now quiet Harry and saw the familiar shifting features that came from a metamorph change. The auto-fit charms in the hospital robe he wore adapted as his frame shrunk. Tonks was mesmerised seeing a full-body transformation happen to someone else. The messy hair lengthened and took on natural red highlights that would be the envy of most and highlighted the familiar features of the Blacks. She couldn't help raising an eyebrow at how much the robe had to adapt in the chest area.

When the changes stopped, she dropped to her knees, calling out his name. For the first time in fourteen years Melania Black opened her laurel eyes onto the world.

"I don't know whether to smack you or kiss you!" Tonks wept, pulling the girl up into a tight hug. At the _I'd take a kiss_ reply she burst into hiccups.

"I am sorry to do this to you," the Grey Lady said from behind Tonks. "But you must follow the spirit-shard."

"What the hell was that?" Tonks demanded from the ghost yet it was Harry...Melania...who answered.

"A piece of Riddle. And Morgana my voice is weeeeiiird."

After a brief struggle, Tonks realised her friend was trying to stand and they carefully rose together. Melania's body was weaker than Harry's had been before the potion and Tonks was forced to take all her weight.

"You are the spitting image of my aunt," Helena Ravenclaw gasped, wavering in the air as she momentarily lost substance.

"Your aunt?" Tonks frowned, trying to remember her history lessons.

"Morgan of the Raven's Claw," Melania explained as she shook her head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs. "Also known as Morgana Le Fey, patron of the Blacks."

Tonks looked between the two of them as her idea of the world crumbled. The Grey Lady nodded, her face a sad reflection of time gone by.

"I was born Helena Ravenclaw but people only saw me as my mother's daughter and my aunt's niece."

"It's why I took the potion," Melania sighed, understanding the ghost's sadness.

"I know. You have the _Book,_ it is the only way you would know of my blood."

Melania nodded and then frowned as a slim hand rose to cup one of her breasts. "How the bloody hell do you girls deal with these things?"

The two girls shared a knowing look and burst into giggles. Melania blinked in confusion at what was so funny and was forced to wait until they had regained their composure.

"We shall teach you," Helena declared and Tonks nodded. "But first. Please, you must follow the spirit-shard."

She drifted off in the direction the mist had taken and the two followed, Melania leaning heavily on Tonks who was frowning as she tried to understand.

"Our _esteemed_ Headmaster once said I had a connection to Riddle," Melania growled low near Tonks' ear. The sound doing funny things to her insides. "Apparently he meant it literally."

"It was not the first that monster made," Helena explained without turning back. "And to my eternal regret, I allowed something very precious to be used as one."

"One? One what?" Tonks demanded to know. She had yet to change back to her Natalia disguise and was doing her best to ignore the appreciative looks Melania was giving her.

The Grey Lady stopped in front of a pile of randomness that looked exactly like all the other piles. The only difference was the badly stained tiara that sat proudly on a small cupboard. Melania could feel the malevolence radiating off it and shuddered as she realised it was a more concentrated version of what she had felt with Riddle's diary. She closed her eyes at what the depravity of the monster and pushed away the memories of her parents murder from the monster's eyes. She felt Tonks move as though to get closer to the piece of jewellery.

"No!" Melania snapped, grasping the wrist of Tonks' arm as it reached out to take up the item. "It's worse than the diary!"

That snapped Tonks out of her trance and she blinked as though coming out of a daze.

"That's your mother's diadem, isn't it?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes," was the painful confession.

"We need to get Amelia here," Melania decided. "This is too dangerous to be in a school, especially after the diary."

"I can get her here tomorrow," Tonks agreed as she pulled away from the diadem, disgusted with the crawling sensation she was feeling run over her skin.

"Good," Melania paused as she thought of a plan, not wanting to be forced to bring anyone to the Room. "If Helena can help me open this room in the morning, I'll put it in some type of box and meet Madam Bones in Hogsmeade. We don't need Dumbledore getting anywhere near this."

"Why?" Tonks frowned.

"He has to know what this is, what the diary was," she said, explaining her reasoning. "That he hasn't told anyone means he probably won't help and could try to stop Madam Bones' work."

Suddenly the strength went out of Melania's legs and Tonks barely had time to take the rest of her weight to keep them from crashing to the floor.

"We need to get you back to the Hospital," the elder girl demanded and Melania nodded weakly.

"We will teach you how to be who you are," Helena declared. "I will do so when no one else is around and this Child of Black can join in when she is not pretending to be in class."

"I'm sorry, luv," Tonks frowned at the ghost's enthusiasm to be involved. "But why are so willing to help?"

"Because the Blacks came from her aunt," Melania's explained with heavy. She had felt a difference since the expulsion of the Riddle fragment, a relaxing of her magic as though it had been tense all these years. Yet there was something familiar at the back of her thoughts, like the sight of his favourite top in his trunk. "Like the Potters come from Slytherin."

Tonks looked at Melania in shock at the revelation only to blink as the girl's body shifted against her and the taller, male form of Harry re-emerged.

"How?" She squeaked, quickly switching how she held Harry so that they weren't so pressed together. "It took me years to learn a full body change!"

"It's a switch," he said, pulling them away from the dangerous diadem. His voice was growing thick as exhaustion threatened to claim him and Tonks knew that they needed to get back to the Hospital Wing quickly. "I couldn't change only one part though. It's all or nothing."

Tonks shook her head, the answer raising more questions that answers. They said their goodbyes to the Grey Lady and slowly made their way back to the Hospital Wing. She was unsure of leaving Harry alone and he had to verbally force her to go.

The darkness of sleep took Harry over before she was out the door. It meant meant neither saw Pomfrey walk out of her office and sighed down at the sleeping teenager.

"What have you done to yourself, Mister Potter?" She mumbled as she cast the first of many spells that night.

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oOoOo


	16. Potters Come, Blacks Go, Family Last

**AN: You know the drill, I don't own anything but the non-canon situations put these characters through.**

 **Thanks for the great reviews and a huge thank you to all those 120+ people who fav/followed the story since my last update. You're very much appreciated and I check out every since one of your pages for your own stories.**

 **I know a few people aren't too keen on Melania's name but the translation was important to me. She very much is the dark star of the family that will bring it back into its rightful place. And now onto the review responses:**

 **Blitzstrahl - You're right that James died before his mid-twenties and that's exactly why he still had his glasses when he died. I've also explained what her name means. As for the dragon, the picking of the model is one of the most (potentially) random of the entire task since it all depends on who stands were and how they put their hand in the bag. The points are political.**

 **Lulu Olufemi - It was never my intention to massively bash on Ron in this story. A little bashing and a breaking of the friendship was planned but the idiot keeps doing more and more stupid stuff as time goes on.**

 **desireejones99 - Unfortunately Ron is still about to put his foot in it before any no-name potential, Harry is simply too focused on the TWT right now. Don't worry though, both Ron and Dumbdledore get what they're due in the end.**

 **Apathetic Plot Bunneh - High praise indeed and I hope I don't disappoint. The Harry/Tonks relationship has come really easy so far but ended up hitting a way until I realised why. Don't worry though, you'll be seeing plenty of them together in the next chapter.**

 **ehanda - It's Melania who looks similar to Morgana and this is highlighted at the end of this chapter.**

 **Gensuru - Thanks for the spot on my cont-error with Tonks' original eyes. I've edited the "Everyone" chapter to reflect the mahogany colour (the error is actually because I've written a scene for another story that has her with the purple and the descriptions up). I might not have portrayed the scene adequately with Amelia and Tonks since the words themselves are meaningless unless used by a Potter to a Black or Black to a Potter. The words themselves still held the power of Harry speaking them and is why they affected her. Given another few hours and nothing would have happened. You're absolutely right about the can of worms the magic could open up but this is explained in a few chapters time and it's very much a highly specific case and will be explained when needed.**

 **Marenhide - My goal was always a part Harry/Tonks relationship but only if it felt right. Any comments I make about where the story goes is usually because of how far ahead I am in my own writings but I do go back and redo scenes before posting them. This relationship is the biggest difficultly I've had as all the scenes have come out forced and unrealistic considering the characters. This is why there's been a shift in my answers between some chapters.**

 **senpen banka - The dragon's death is more about Harry's emotional issues than showing how powerful he is.**

 **leylinjan - Harry isn't a metamorph. Not least not in the sense Tonks is. I guess the explanation wasn't clear (I wasn't happy with the scene) but Harry's metamorph abilities only allow the change between Harry and Melania. The metamorph gene is merely a bridge linking his two sides, nothing more.**

* * *

Potters Come, Blacks Go, Blood Lasts Forever

 _And so Antioch broke off a branch from the Elder tree he had slaughtered the Thestral beneath. In his delirium, he ripped out the hair from the body and used both to create the deadliest of wands._

 _The Eldest blood-bound the wand, determined it should only work for his Family, yet did not realise the cost of the animal's death. And so it became that only someone of his Blood, of pure spirit and sorrowful heart, could break the curse of the Death Stick._

 _And so Cadmus ripped out the breast bone of the Thestral, using his great Power to compress and fossilise it until it became a gleaming gem that would bring forth the dead to pass on their knowledge._

 _The Second blood-bound the stone, determined it should only work for his Family, yet did not realise the cost of the animal's death. And so it became that the stone caused pain to the spirits it commanded and demanded the death of all who used it. Until only someone of his blood, of pure spirit and sorrowful heart, could break the curse of the Resurrection Stone._

 _And so Ignotus cried over the corpse of the Thestral, the animal that he had taken into his heart and loved. With reverence he took the hairs his violent brother had left, took the hairs the majestic creature had given in its grooming, and with pure spirit and sorrowful heart intertwined them with those of a Demiguise._

 _The Youngest blood-bound the cloak, determined it should only work for his Family as penance for the animal's death. And so it became that the cloak would only work to its fullest Power for those of his blood. That only they could hide from even Death itself until they were ready to pass on the True Cloak of Invisibility._

 **[ Extract from the _Potter Book_ ]**

 _4th December 1994_

Harry had to admit he felt much better than he had any right to feel. The pain from the potion had not dimmed in his memory nor the horrible images he had seen when the... _thing_...had left him. Yet Harry felt almost back to his old self again as Pomfrey conducted her early morning tests. He eyed the nurse suspiciously but she had on her best poker face.

"You're well enough to leave," was the huffed admittance, and there was a tightness to her eyes that revealed an inner tension. "You need to still be careful and not overwork your core. None of those draining duels or exercises for at least another week."

"But I'm free to go?" He double-checked, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Get out of here, Mister Potter. And do whatever it is you need to do."

Harry nodded and scooped up his clothes to disappear into the small latrine. He didn't know what Madam Pomfrey knew or didn't know but he was grateful that there didn't seem to be any questions heading his way.

He quickly pulled off the hospital robe and froze as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Harry took a deep breath and, ignoring the shaking hands, reached inside for his other self. It felt as though his mind and body knew how to switch without thought, that it was as natural to him as breathing. Melania rose up as his 'Harry' thoughts and hormonal drives dropped away.

The first thing she decided was that she was _NEVER_ watching it happen in the mirror again! The changing of height wasn't too bad, nor really was the growth of breasts even though she felt that she should be blushing at their sight. No, what put her off the entire thing was watching, and _feeling_ , the exchange of down there.

Harry had no idea what he looked like compared to the other boys, his childhood hadn't been ideal for being comfortable naked, yet there was still something panic-inducing watching that organ shrink and vanish inside herself. The growth of hair that merely rearranged its position was okay. Maybe.

 _Enough of this._ She demanded, shaking herself down and feeling strange as her firm breasts responded to the action. Her new hair tickled her lower back and brushed her different shaped arse, something she oddly enjoyed and missed once Harry was back in his male body.

The double change had not left Harry feeling weak. In fact he felt even stronger than before and wondered if it had something to do with the shifting magics. The idea was something he could throw at Sirius once he told his godfather. His fingers froze at that word, the shirt only partially done up. Was Sirius still his godfather? Harry quickly decided that yes, yes the Marauder was and that ol' Padfoot was Melania's father, not his.

Harry pushed the identity crisis to the back of his mind as he remembered why he had pushed to get out of the Wing before breakfast. He quickly finished dressing and vanished into the halls of Hogwarts with only the quickest of goodbyes to Madam Pomfrey. He found the Grey Lady, Helena, waiting for him at the entrance to the Room of Requirement.

"I prefer your other self," she told him the moment he appeared.

"I think Nat does too," he frowned at the instant reply.

"And you?"

"I've only done it once," he argued the pushy ghost only to get a rolling of the eyes at the lie.

"Twice," she corrected.

"You've been watching me?" He exclaimed only to grumble at her famously vacant look. _Hogwarts_. He thought. "It's too early for me to say."

The two stood in silence, neither willing to speak as they each waited for the other to give what they wanted. It was Harry who broke first and he sighed, reaching up to rub his temples as a headache threatened to blossom. Trying to outlast a ghost was another thing he decided he didn't need to be doing again.

"Fine! I prefer it too."

Helena Ravenclaw beamed, the smile lighting up her face to show the beautiful girl she was in life, and told him how to get the room they needed. Harry could only shake his head at the grinning ghost as he asked for the Room of Lost Things. He could swear that there was a bounce to her floating as they snaked their way through the piles of trash and potential fortunes. She was far too proud of herself in getting his confession.

He wondered about the backstory of Riddle getting his hands on the diadem but felt it would be too much of a painful story for Helena to tell. And in the end, did it really matter what the bastard had done to get it? He did end up shaking his head at where the madman had hidden the diadem and wondered what he had been thinking.

"You reacted to it more last night," Helena accused as they stared at the famous heirloom.

"I know," Harry had already noticed the difference in his reaction. Melania had felt her skin crawl, wanting nothing to do with the lost jewel yet here he was feeling only a more intense sensation of the aura as he had experienced with the diary. "I'm not keen on thinking about why."

"The piece from your scar," she said after a moment's consideration, proving she was her mother's daughter. Harry sent her a dirty look at voicing the thoughts he was trying to ignore.

He looked for a box large enough to house the diadem and found a battered one with only one hinge a few minutes later. With a careful swish and flick of the _Wingardium Leviosa_ , Harry had the diadem safely stored away.

"Thank you, Harry," she said as they were leaving the room. "You are relieving a burden I have carried for too long.."

Harry looked at the ghost of a girl who had lived weighed down by the famous names of her closest family and knew what had happened to her could have easily happened to anyone.

"We're Family," he simply said.

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oOoOo

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Harry was all for the breakfast meeting Tonks had set up with Madam Bones. He had no interest in finding out how the school reacted to their Dark Lord Dragon-Killer in residence and sneaking down to Hogsmeade was a perfect excuse to avoid the sheep.

He wore his cloak even before he slipped into the Honeydukes tunnel and remained hidden until the side-street nearest the Three Broomsticks. Harry didn't care if he was being overly paranoid. As the old saying went; it didn't mean people still weren't after him.

Madam Rosmerta was a wonderful woman who had an even more wonderful chest for the Hogwarts boys, and some girls, to droll over. The thought brought Harry up short and he ended up stumbling into the inn as he realised that he, as Melania, would end up being eyed up in the same region.

His stumble through the door caught the woman in question's attention and she raised a suspicious eyebrow in his direction. At Harry's roguish grin she merely scoffed good-naturedly.

"Your father used to give me the exact same smile," she informed him from her position behind the bar. "Usually when he and his miscreant friends were skipping classes."

"You can't blame me for that!" Harry declared faux innocently. "And I don't even have any miscreant friends."

"Harry Potter, I've seen you spending time with those red-headed menaces. Don't think you can pull one over me," she said with a smirk of her own. Harry could only shrug, sometimes his friendship with the twins came with its own baggage. "Though I'll admit your dad nor those boys ever had a meeting with the head of the DMLE and an Unspeakable. Now that's impressive... and they're in room 3."

Harry looked to the stairs and back to the pleasant woman in concern. He hadn't thought about Madam Rosmerta knowing about the meeting.

"This may not be the Hog's Head," her voice softened and she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the bar. A quirk of the lips all she gave at his brief wandering eyes. "But I know how to keep quiet. You get yourself up to that room and do what needs to be done."

Harry threw her a playful salute, to hide his nerves as much as any sense of fun, and quickly made his way to the rooms while being followed by her laughter. At reaching the first floor he realised that there wouldn't be an issue in finding room three.

Standing in front of one of the doors was a tall and imposing dark skinned man. He was dressed in the red Auror uniform and was standing at parade rest, though Harry knew from Tonks that his hand would be near his wand.

"Mr. Potter," the Auror playing bouncer nodded. "Madam Bones is waiting for you."

Kingsley Shacklebolt watched the teenage boy swallowed hard and then wrap himself in an aura of confidence and control. The experienced Auror was impressed. In his days working with Madam Bones he'd seen suspects, even some Lords, be unable to pull themselves together so quickly as the young Potter Scion had done.

It had taken time for his boss to give him a brief rundown on her black op. He'd been somewhat annoyed that she hadn't brought him in from the start, even more so when the quiet investigation into the Sirius Black angle threatened to show corruption at the very top of the Wizengamot. His protective instincts towards the older woman had always made her smile and his rant had even gotten a small and grudgingly given apology.

He didn't know who her undercover agent was that had gotten close to Potter. Not officially at any rate. He knew the big players of the undercover squads and none of them seemed to have changed operations. And then he had remembered the scuttlebutt involving the rookie Metamorphmagus. Kingsley allowed his boss to think he hadn't worked out her secret agent, it was only the polite thing to do after all.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Potter reached into his robe and carefully pulled out a bag. Whatever was in it seemed to shake the boy's mask and Kingsley suspected it was exactly why his boss had brought Croaker with her. No one understood and enjoyed the weird shit of their world like the Head Unspeakable.

Harry took measured steps towards the door and Shacklebolt gave a specific knock and got the door open before the Boy-Who-Lived would have needed to stop. He eyed the man carefully as he moved into the simple room.

Amelia Bones, monocle and all, was sitting beside a small functional desk while a figure was standing near the window. The second person showed no real body shape and their hood gave a blank space where their face should have been. For a moment Harry was reminded of some of Dudley's old Saturday morning cartoons and their evil villains but he ruthlessly pushed that thought aside. He and Sirius had decided to trust Bones and that meant they had to trust who she trusted.

"Good morning, Scion Potter," Amelia spoke first as an attempt to ease the tension in Harry's shoulders. She could see the suspicion in his eyes as he carefully watched Croaker and hoped she hadn't pushed the boy too far. Tonks' report about something dangerously _strange_ had been far too panicked for her to comfortably leave the Unspeakable behind. "Do you know what an Unspeakable is?"

"No, ma'am," Harry confessed as he took the chair the imposing woman offered him. His fingers itched for his wand and he couldn't help but feel an amusement coming off the figure at his twitching digits.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Mister Potter," the figure spoke and the voice was as indistinct as their outfit. Harry wondered at the magic that could make it difficult to tell if someone was male or female. "I am Unspeakable Croaker and I'm the Department Head of the Department of Mysteries. We study Life, Magic and Everything, and Madam Bones informs me that you have something that is right up my alley."

"Study?" Harry accused, his eyes narrowing sharply. "No offence sir but it doesn't need to be studied, it needs destroying. I haven't stabbed it with a basilisk fang only because I'm hoping you can find out if there are any more of them first."

The two stared at each other as though sizing the other up. The lack of any eyes didn't deter Harry's glare which was something that impressed both Ministry officials. It was obvious that Harry would vanish if he was unconvinced about Croaker not following through with the plan. There was a soft chuckle that preceded a masked nod.

"If it is truly dangerous then I will do my best."

"Why don't you explain what this is about, Potter?" Amelia offered as a way of mediating the two stubborn males. Harry sighed and began an all too familiar tale.

"Two years ago a student was possessed by a dark object and ended up releasing Slytherin's basilisk," Harry's gaze jumped between the two adults to test their reaction to his story. He had come to terms with the events of his second year thanks to Sirius' help. "You must believe me, it wasn't her fault, she had no control over what she was doing."

"Objects that can exert such an influence on people rarely do so politely," Croaker commented. The Unspeakable had yet to move while Amelia looked uncomfortable at finally hearing the story from its source. "Certainly it would have the power to subvert a child."

"I've been given the details," she admitted, looking over to her colleague so Croaker knew she would pass on the specifics. "And I agree. The student would be innocent of their actions under the influence of such an object."

"Who believed in Sirius' innocence?" Harry growled beneath his breath and the adults pretended not to hear though it did raise Croaker's eyebrows. "I destroyed the object. I...I made the mistake of opening up a dialogue with it beforehand."

"You were able to speak to the object in question?" Even through the hood's magic there was a hint of surprise in Croaker's question.

"Yes, sir," Harry nodded, shifting in his chair as he swapped the bag from one hand to the other. Just talking about the diary made it all the more real what he was currently holding. "It was a diary. It would write back to you and could even show memories... or what it made you think were memories, really... and then at the end it created a physical projection."

"That is an amazing piece of magic, Mister Potter. A very intricate and demanding set of compulsion, illusion and Legilimency to make you believe what you're seeing. I understand why you're so worried."

"You're wrong, sir," Harry's hand ran roughly through his hair. Croaker was unimpressed by the boy's correct and then Harry continued, causing his blood to freeze. "It wasn't that simple. It was a piece of the wizard's soul trying to gain life."

Amelia had never heard of such a piece of magic but Croaker's shift in attitude, subtle enough that only her years of knowing the man allowed her to pick it up, set her stomach twisting in sickening knots. Tonks' report hadn't mentioned _that_.

"Potter," Croaker slowly spoke and he took a single step forward. "I want you to understand the level of magic you're talking about here. I don't know how you found out about soul containers but they are not an idle piece of spell-crafting. There are much easier, though multi-layered magics, that could give an uninitiated the impression of what you're talking about."

Amelia watched the young Scion's eyes narrow in suppressed rage at not being believed and her interest caught the scent of something deeper. The tension that suddenly thrummed through Potter's body at being dismissed was far more than she would have expected from Croaker's valid observation.

" _Sir,_ " Harry snarled and then took deep, meditative breaths. Amelia's eyebrow raised at the obvious Occlumency technique and memories surfaced of seeing a young Sirius Black doing the same thing. "Sir, I'm sure you're right. I believed the same thing until recently when I found another object that I've been told also holds a spirit-shard of Tom Riddle."

There was no hiding Croaker stiffening this time. It had taken him years to uncover the mystery of the self-styled Dark Lord's origins, and that had only come from luck as he remembered a conversation between his father and Abraxus Malfoy about a charming Slytherin student. The man was certainly powerful and arrogant enough to create a Horcrux, which meant You-Know-Who was still out there. He nervously watched as Harry reached into his bag and pulled out a battered and obviously old box. The boy took a deep breath and opened it so that they could see inside.

At first the adults saw only Ravenclaws' Diadem and then they felt the evil pouring from the jewel. Amelia scooted her chair back and stood, wand in hand as her instincts demanded she destroy the threat while Croaker took another careful step forward.

"Saul?" Amelia whispered, not realising she'd slipped with his name.

"It's the real deal, Amelia," he confirmed with a shudder. It was a well kept secret that Croaker could see magical auras and what he could See in that moment had his hair raising as the primitive part of his brain screamed out in fear. "That's a very powerful horcrux."

"A what?" Harry asked, confused at the term.

"Mister Potter. I think it's best if you close the lid," Amelia practically demanded. She didn't miss his obvious relief at being able to do so and carefully put the box back in the bag. She regained her seat as Croaker explained.

"A Horcrux, Mister Potter. Or a soul container, the terms are interchangeable, is exactly what you have there. A part of someone's soul locked onto a physical object. Though never have I see one quite as saturated as that one."

"Well..." Harry cringed, showing all his young age and inexperience in the single act. "It might be because it has two pieces of Riddle's soul."

" _Two?_ " Amelia stared.

"The diary you spoke of?"

"No, sir. I...I broke another container and the spirit-shard left it and showed me the way to the diadem. I think the pieces merged somehow."

Croaker was nodding by the time Harry finished speaking. From what he knew about the theory of Horcruxes, what was described was certainly possible. Unheard of but possible. And then what he was thinking sunk home and he gasped.

"Merlin. How many did that madman make?"

"Croaker?" Amelia snapped, all business again once the dangerous jewel was hidden away.

"The whole idea of a soul container is for immortality," Croaker explained, turning away from Harry for the first time. Harry recognised the manner of speech as one Hermione used when she was absently instructing him on something. "As long as the soul container remains you should, theoretically, remain beyond the touch of death. If You-Know-Who made more than one then..."

"He's still out there," Harry finished with a firm voice.

"Yes, Mister Potter. He's still out there."

The weight of those words and their reality hung in the room. Amelia swore, fully aware that the DMLE didn't have near enough budget to deal with a second rise from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"You are right, Mister Potter," Croaker said, reaching for the bag. Harry gingerly passed it over and prayed he was doing the right thing. "There are certainly some in my department who would like nothing better than to study this. I, however, will do all I can to find the others and destroy every last one that bastard made. You have my word."

"Thank you, sir."

Harry was up and out of the room without being excused. For all his strong words he was still a fourteen year-old having to face off against his own government and it showed with the quick exit. Shacklebolt entered and looked at the two shaken Department Heads.

"Worth the trip?"

"I'll say," Croaker snorted. He was desperate to get back to the Minister so he could put the diadem somewhere safe. "I suggest keeping an eye on that young man, Amelia. It would also be wise to bring him to my department once this horrible Tri-Wizard business is over with. There's something he has to see."

"And what would that be?" Amelia asked, the sinking feeling in her gut growing.

"A prophecy."

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oOoOo

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Once Harry was back at Hogwarts and inside the Room of Requirement, he was faced with a situation unlike any he had experienced.

"What do you mean, you want me naked?" He squeaked at the pale girl hovering in front of him.

"There is more to being a young woman that having the body," Helena Ravenclaw said in a slow, careful voice that adults used for stubborn children. "One must comport themselves correctly in any number of situations and to do so, one must know what it means to _dress_ for them."

"You mean you want Melania to play dress up and learn all this?" Harry double-checked. "Why didn't you say so?"

"I did. And we need an elf to help you learn all the hooks and buttons."

"Elf?" Harry glared. "I am _not_ having those two fruitcakes seeing her naked! Winky!"

A soft pop announced the arrival of Harry and Sirius' third and final house-elf. Little Winky was dressed in a pale pink cloth and was rubbing her hands on the tiny apron tied around her waist.

"Master Harry calls Winky!" She beamed in pure happiness. "Master Harry bes calling Dobby and Kreacher, Winky bes thinking Master Harry bes thinking Winky not good enough."

Harry sighed and closed his eyes at the exhausting elf-speak and then knelt down to look her in the eye. He still remembered their talk before the World Cup Final and had been meaning to talk to her once she settled into Black Manor. There had always been something to distract him and it was still easier for him to think about calling Dobby than even Kreacher, let alone her.

"Winky, I need to ask you something important," He started and watched the excitement drain away to a seriousness neither of the two male elves had ever shown Harry. "Do you know how to be a personal elf to a girl?"

"Oh yeses, Master Harry," she enthusiastically nodded, her body rocking on the balls of her feet as she explained. "Winky be Mistress Crouch's elf when she bes a little witch. Winky went with her to Master Crouch's home when they bes marrying."

Harry sighed in relief while off to the side Helena nodded her approval.

"That's perfect," Harry smiled and felt his heart lift at the way Winky grew in pride. "Are you aware of my...situation with Sirius?"

"You bes meaning how Master Harry is Master Sirius' little Mistress Melania? Oh yes, Winky bes knowing. Winky bes feeling the magic happen and bes hearing Dobby and Kreacher talking over what they bes learning. Dobby and Kreacher bes bad elves for eavesdropping but they not listen to Winky when Winky be telling them offs and then Winky bes sad because no one bes telling Winky what they bes knowing."

Once again Harry found himself blinking at the convoluted yet strangely simple way the elves thought and spoke.

"There's a reason for that, Winky," he explained to ease the sadness her large eyes were now filled with. "I've not told Sirius that I've taken the potion. I want to learn how to be Melania before I surprise him but she needs a personal elf who can teach her what she needs to know..."

"Winky bes able to do that! Winky learn it all for Mistress Crouch and for if Winky's old family ever had little Mistress!"

"That's what I was hoping for," Harry was almost knocked over by the force of the little elf's hug as she pounced. He could only assume that Winky much preferred dealing with a female.

"Oh, Winky bes so sorry Master Harry," She exclaimed as she pulled back, tugging on her ears. "Winky bes asking for permission to punish Winky for what she bes doing."

"Absolutely not," he refused, scowling hard at the request. "You've shown me exactly the enthusiasm I could have hoped for. But this must be our secret okay? I don't want anyone else to know about this before I'm ready."

At Winky's frantic nod, Harry took a deep breath and focused on that presence in his mind. With a mental brush it came forward and with it his body changed as did the way she thought. When Melania opened her grey-green eyes she saw Winky bouncing frantically in happiness at seeing her new Mistress.

Melania quickly stripped off Harry's clothes and was quickly dressed in what was promised to be the worst outfit she'd need to wear. Winky worked the natural magic of an expert elf-in-waiting in quickly doing up all the hooks and laces that made up the elegant dress. Melania found that she enjoyed the feel of the corset's support. She knew it would take her time to get used to having her stomach held tight but it gave her a sense of emotional comfort that Harry Potter had never experienced from his clothes.

To Helena's surprise and Winky's delight, Melania openly declared her desire for any tops with a similar design. The helpful elf promised that her Mistress would find plenty upon her arrival at home.

Melania knew the heels would certainly take time to get used to. After her tenth stumble they suddenly got better after a sly click of Winky's fingers. She learned that the stabilising spell was often used when women were first wearing the shoes. That it would fade as her control grew was the only reason the stubborn Black girl didn't have it instantly removed.

She only got a chance to try on a range of modern undergarments, and learn how to put on and take off a strangely large selection of different bra designs, before Helena gave the warning of lunch. It was a slightly saddened Winky who clicked her Mistress back into Harry's clothes and left with a list of likes and dislikes.

"I propose going through all of this again until it becomes second nature," the Grey Lady suggested as Harry re-emerged. He nodded as he pulled at his clothes, surprised how different they felt after the last few hours. "Then we can begin the behaviour lessons."

"Joy," Harry quipped. "And here I thought being in the Tournament would get me out of studying."

He winced at the resulting glare.

.

.

oOoOo

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.

 _5th December, 1994_

Once more Albus Dumbledore found himself not enjoying his day. He had received an interesting letter late the previous evening from a contact within the Ministry. He had been surprised to hear from the young man as rarely was there much outward excitement from the Unspeakables. Yet the letter detailed how Madam Bones and the infuriatingly private Croaker were in a state of heavy activity over something.

He was the Chief Warlock and _The_ Albus Dumbledore, why shouldn't he know what the Unspeakables were doing in that blasted Department?

According to his contact the two had returned from somewhere showing equal parts excitement and agitation. Something that then proceeded to set the Unspeakables into action like ants losing their hill. Though of course _what_ that was wouldn't be answered even if he actually asked anyone. To top it off, Dumbledore had his proximity charm around the prophecy go off a number of times.

When Bones had visited after Harry's name came out of the Goblet, she had been remarkably well informed. Too informed in fact. It didn't take a man of his intellect long to spot the details only a small number of people knew about in her questions. She simply wasn't good enough to keep them hidden. That meant Harry or someone he had spoken to – Sirius? No, the Kiss on Sight order meant that would have been too dangerous – had given the details away.

He wasn't particularly happy about Harry's big mouth. Dumbledore had studied the boy and was sure Harry was too private to share the events of the past years. This new openness, he was sure, was coming from spending time with Sirius. That boy could never keep many secrets when he was running around with James and the others and had infected the younger Potter with the same affliction.

Bones had been far too curious about Tom's diary and had not been pleased when he told her it had been destroyed. He technically wasn't even lying! The basilisk venom had destroyed everything that made the book a danger but he couldn't simply had it over to her. He still had far too much to study about it and he needed to find Tom's other Horcruxes before the wayward child returned.

Dumbledore knew that the finding an intact Horcrux would be exactly the type of thing that would set off the Unspeakables but there was simply no way that one of Tom's had been found. Tom was far too clever to allow someone to simply trip over them and only someone who knew Tom in the details that Dumbledore did would be able to piece together the intricacies of the brilliant deranged mind to find the hiding spots.

Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that the excitement deep inside the Ministry had something to do with Harry, and so by proxy one Tom Riddle. Especially when the boy had been cleared to leave the Hospital Wing yet had failed to show up for breakfast. So it was that Dumbledore had decided to call Harry to his office the next morning for a discussion, and perhaps a recap over the horrible waste of life that had come about during the first task. Yet no sooner had he been about to speak to Filius – and how annoying was this ridiculous Apprenticeship? - when the Hall filled with delivery owls passing out copies of that morning's Quibbler.

The front page stole all of Dumbledore's thoughts and he paled as he read further.

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oOoOo

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.

"Luna's done a really good job," Hermione told Harry in a soothing voice after speed-reading the article.

Harry could only nod in acknowledgement, completely unsurprised but still happy to hear the words. He knew the little moonbeam wouldn't do anything to hurt him but there was no way he'd actually read the article. He caught the blonde's eyes and gave her a weak smile that she returned with her own, large eyes shining with understanding.

He was only able to pick at his breakfast and therefore was able to spot the wave of shock and silence spread across the tables. Luna's dad had pushed out more copies of their paper than he'd ever printed. The idea being to get the first article into as many hands as possible and have them coming back for the rest.

She'd broken down his sad story into small chunks, at Harry's insistence, so that the freebies would force people to subscribe to the Quibbler for the next instalment. The idea of serialisation in newspapers wasn't a new one for Muggles and Harry had no qualms about the Lovegoods using the practice when they were willing to let him speak the truth.

"Harry?" Neville caught his attention. Harry felt as though he was only partially there when he turned his vacant gaze to his friend. "They'll understand."

"Thanks, Nev," he heard himself say. He could hear quiet sobs and detected a few tears falling down some cheeks and realised he didn't know how far into his life the article had gone.

Tonks growled and stood, pulling Harry to his feet, and dragging him out of the Hall without saying a word. She was not going to let him suffer in silence.

Small numbers rose from each of the House tables as their wider circle made to follow. They found the duo at the Quidditch pitch with Natalia breaking into the broom cupboard to thrust a broom into Harry's arms.

"It's not your Firebolt," she said in a no nonsense tone, pointing to the skies. "But get your arse up there and fly or so help me, I'll shove this so far up somewhere you'll float every time you hiccup."

Hermione gasped at the threat while Neville blushed at the image and Daphne smirked. Harry simply stared at the girl, looked at the broom and then back to the girl who was coming to mean so much to him in such a short amount of time. The life slowly seeped back into his emerald eyes and he suddenly pulled her into a one-armed hug before zooming off into the clouds.

"I don't get it," Tracey admitted as they moved towards the stands. "Those brooms are horrendous yet he can still fly like that. How in Merlin's name is he doing it?"

"Magic," Hannah said, brightly as she used Harry's joke, only to get smacked around the head by Susan. "I mean it. My second cousin did a study on brooms and the effect of a person's magic on broom flying. Someone's magic can override a broom's weakness to fly like they're on a professional stick."

"So what happens in the professional games?" Hermione quizzed, greedily taking in the new piece of knowledge.

"Ah," Hannah smirked as Harry nosedived from an insane height, spinning so that it looked as though his robes were a cocoon around him. "Well those brooms are charmed against that type of interference. They're made especially to be universal. The brooms Hogwarts have are private brooms so they don't come regulated in the same way."

"You actually sound like you're interested in it," Neville said without his usual bashfulness. "But I don't hear you get into the Quidditch talks."

"Oh, I'm not," She confessed with a wince when Harry somehow pulled up just far from the ground that his shoes skimmed the grass. Just because she understood the theory didn't make it easier to watch him pull the stunts on such rickety brooms. "My cousin taught me about it because she wanted me to understand how things aren't always what they seem and that sometimes equal doesn't mean equal. She'd a far bit older than us and had faced a lot of trouble being a woman growing up. She wanted me prepared in case I came up against the same."

"That's really good of her," Hermione's mind was working overtime with memories of hearing her parents talk about similar issues when they got their PhDs. The idea of women shouldn't be the doctors and men didn't need to be nurses had been especially bad in their youth.

The conversation tailed off into more mundane subjects that had the group laughing. None of them mentioned the reason they were missing the end of breakfast and when a smiling Harry landed to see them off to morning classes, they felt a few lost points in being late was well worth it.

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oOoOo

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 _12th December, 1994_

Professor Flitwick had given Harry's magic more time to settle after his fight with the dragon. Harry would have preferred to get right back into it and work off the frustration that all the sad looks of the other students were causing.

Luna's articles had been a smash. The Quibbler's sales were through the roof and the details of his life had sent both the public and Wizengamot into a fury. That a magical child, let alone the Scion to such a prestigious House, had been so mistreated sent waves of fury through parents everywhere. Add in that he was the Boy-Who-Lived and people were out for blood from anyone who had a hand in Harry's childhood.

Dumbledore had been swept off his feet in his role of Chief Warlock. It had been the Order of Merlin winner who had put Harry in the Muggle hellhole and important people were wanting answers. To Harry and Sirius' amusement, the pitchfork and torches were coming at the aged wizard from all across the spectrum. It was a united Wizarding Britain who wanted Dumbledore's head.

Flitwick, in his role of Harry's Duelling Master, had refused all attempts by the Headmaster to speak to Harry. No one believed that the scandal would cost Dumbledore his positions but his political influence would certainly be weakened by the time the storm had passed.

It was a very eager Harry who found himself in the Room of Requirement facing off against Flitwick while his friends used the study portion of the room for their homework.

"Again, Apprentice," Flitwick demanded after the third attempt to break through the diminutive man's _Protego_. "You're out of practice if you can't break this shield."

"Sorry, Professor," Harry ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I don't know what's wrong, my magic feels sluggish."

"How so, Harry?" Neville piped up to surprise everyone, his mind coming up with a possible, and worrying, idea. "Can you explain it?"

"I guess," Harry frowned, sitting on the edge of the duelling platform with his legs hanging off the side. Flitwick looked on with undisguised interest as the two friends focused on each other. "Everything feels the same right up until I cast and then it feels, I don't know, slow? Like there's a space between saying the spell and it happening."

"That's how it was for me with my dad's wand," Neville said. He had been nodding to Harry's description as though already knowing what the other boy was going to say. "It was a really big pause for me though. Didn't Mr. Ollivander talk to you about this?"

"Merlin, I forgot!" Harry dropped backwards with a groan and everyone winced at the loud thud of impact as he sprawled on the platform. "He said I was changing and that my wand was trying to keep up."

Flitwick made a thoughtful noise that caught Harry's attention and he rolled his head to the side to look at his favourite teacher. "Sir?"

"Miss Granger, can you tell me the pros and cons between being a Specialist dueller and one who generalises?" The Professor asked. Harry frowned as the question and worked through it as he knew she was doing.

"Well...A Specialist is able to know really unique spells to catch their opponents off but if the other dueller knows how to counter the focused spells then they're left vulnerable. A generalist is able to attack with a wide variety of spells so it's much harder to neutralise their attacks but it usually comes at the cost of not really knowing any unique spells."

"An excellent textbook answer. Fifteen points to Gryffindor," Flitwick beamed. "It is that very problem that many duellers have to face when they are on the circuit. I came across a few who attempted to move from a very specific duelling style to a more well-rounded one and one or two found themselves in a similar problem as my Apprentice here. Their wands were so used to their original style that they struggled with the new style."

"Did the wands manage to adapt, sir?" Harry pushed himself up onto his elbows to see everyone easier. He wasn't happy with the idea of giving up his wand, it was the very first thing that he could claim as his own.

"Some did," Flitwick acknowledged, without any true enthusiasm. "But just as many were forced to get a new wand because of it."

"So how will I know?" He frowned down at the offending stick of holly as though it was deliberately fighting him rather than actually trying to keep up.

"By working with it, of course," Flitwick said as though it was the most obvious answer. "And eventually you'll find it too difficult to use your wand or it eases up."

"Great," Harry groaned and looked ready to drop onto his back once more. A quick cough and curl of the fingers from Flitwick had him back to his feet. The Professor made a suggestion as they retook their positions.

"If you are changing enough to affect your wand, and I wouldn't be surprised if you are, you might consider getting a wand that's blood-bound to you."

"Sir!" Susan cried. "They're illegal."

"Oh no, Miss Bones," Flitwick denied with a sharp shake of the head. Susan looked to argue the point and he quickly continued. "Only discouraged. Many duellists have had such a wand throughout the history of the noble sport."

"What's a blood-bound wand?" Harry was sure her nose twitched at a bit of hidden lore. She was _sure_ anything blood related was illegal.

Flitwick clasped his hands in front of him and was about to go into his teaching mode when the answer came from a surprising source.

"There are two types of blood-bonding. The first is when you make it so that only you alone can use the item and everyone else will fail if they tried. The second, and more popular, is when you blood-bond to your family." Harry automatically explained, having learned the theory from the _Potter Book_. "The item can be used by others but only those with your blood will ever get the full potential from it. In both cases the item adapts to your deeper personality. It takes everything you are, were, or could possibly be and syncs with it."

There was silence and a good number of dropped jaws by the time Harry had finished. He looked between the intrigued Flitwick and his shocked friends.

"What?"

"That's a very detailed explanation, Apprentice, and not one that would be learned inside a Hogwarts book.

"The Potters have always been inventors," Harry answered with a shrug. It was a surprising fact that had made him proud of his family's legacy. "And they had a habit of doing the second variation so that a prototype would always be in the Family."

Flitwick was about to comment when he was forced to dive away from a powerful _Expelliarmus._ Harry unrepentantly grinned, ignoring Hermione's outcry against his lack of fair play. The half-goblin cheekily waved a finger and tutted at his naughty Apprentice and then the spells began to fly.

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oOoOo

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.

 _21st December 1994_

Narcissa Malfoy was a frazzled and unhappy woman. Her efforts to curtail her son's antagonism towards the Potter Scion had fallen on deaf ears. Or more precisely, Lucius covered ears, as Draco adored his arrogant father.

Draco's attack after Potter's name had come out of the Goblet had set her into a frantic state that wasn't made better by Lucius' chest swelling pride. That her idiotic husband had then been disappointed by the way Potter had dispatched Draco only had her temper burn brighter. The many fights between them were why he had agreed to her going to the Solstice celebration without his usual complaints and demands for her to be more 'Pure and Upstanding'.

All of this added up to her making her way to a secret meeting at the Leaky Cauldron. She hoped that whoever it was the Potter boy had sent in his stead wouldn't take too long. She was desperate to get to the celebration and see her beloved sister, Andi.

Narcissa hadn't spoken to Andromeda since the middle Black sister had been disowned by the Family. But blood was blood and Black blood stayed true to its own. Narcissa had kept a constant, if unknowing, eye on Andromeda and refused to feel ashamed over it.

She had watched with a broken but proud heart as Andi rose through the positions at St Mungo's, how her brother-in-law built his solicitor firm against the tide of anti Muggle-born attitudes, and how Narcissa's niece had apparently been taken under the wing of the feared Auror, Mad-Eye Moody.

Andromeda had never forgotten her roots even if the Family tried to forgot her, and it was at the celebrations of the Old Ways that Narcissa was able to be around sister and not be judged. They might never speak but it was still an annual event Narcissa looked forward to.

A firm knock was met by a controlled and surprisingly feminine command to enter one of the upstairs rooms of the well known pub. Narcissa entered and closed the door firmly behind her, only then allowed the heavy hood from her winter cloak to fall away to reveal the infamous piebald hair.

"Lady Malfoy," the woman by the window said. She too was dressed in a thick cloak that hid everything from prying eyes. "Punctual. I respect that."

Narcissa's blue eyes narrowed. The woman's wavy hair hung low and there was a slight feeling of recognition to the voice yet she knew she had never seen the speaker before. Her fingers itched and it was only through iron will that she didn't draw her wand. There was something about the other woman that had Narcissa feel as though she was facing a wild animal.

A sudden movement from the nearest corner had Narcissa's tight nerves tinge and her wand was palmed before her mind caught up with what happened. An invisibility cloak had been pulled back to reveal familiar spiky pink hair.

"Hello auntie," Tonks beamed nonchalantly with her own wand already pointed at the extremely nervous woman.

"Be at peace, Lady Malfoy," the unknown female said. "It's for both our protections. Nymphadora, if you would?"

"It's Tonks," the girl in question growled as she performed sensor spells.

Narcissa's eyebrows raised as she recognised each one as Black in origin. She had grown up seeing them used only in the most dire of Family business. They were used to make sure everyone was who they were meant to be and no one had any monitoring charms placed on them.

"And just whom am I speaking with?" She asked in her most imperial voice. The sight of the spells had somewhat settled her nerves and her natural Black arrogance rose. Nymphadora chuckled and Narcissa was sure she heard a murmured _Just like mum_.

The question received only silence until Nymphadora confirmed the all clear. That was when the girl, for Narcissa could now see the mysterious woman was only a girl, stepped away from the window and threw back her own hood.

Narcissa gasped. Her instincts screamed at her that she was looking at a young Bella until gradually the slight differences made themselves known.

The girl was dressed in an elegantly cut outfit that only the elite could afford. Its inbuilt corset hug the young waist and allowed enough cleavage to be shown to weaken a man's resolve. The trousers were skintight and fed into the high boots. The accompanying robe was open beneath the cloak and Narcissa suspected that, if it was closed, it wouldn't hide the femininity of the girl. She approved.

The entire outfit screamed of a young woman in her sensual growth but with enough maturity to carry the whole look off.

The facial features were more aunt Orion and aunt Walburga's than her parents, Cygnus and Druella, and her oldest sister had never had eyes of this colour. There was an intensity that Narcissa had once seen in the face of her great uncle Orion and it was in that thought she narrowed in on why some of the features looked familiar.

"So Sirius actually did it in the end?" She smirked, proud at working it out. "We all thought he would have one bastard out there with the way he messed around in school."

Apparently the remark was not the wisest thing she could have said. The teenage girl snarled in fury and stepped forward, and Narcissa once again saw the similarities with the feared Bellatrix Lestrange née Black.

The dark wavy hair sparked with magic and Narcissa felt her blood respond. Her eyes widened in knowledge and she quickly bowed her head in subservience.

"Forgive me, Scion Black."

As quickly as the anger came it faded away and Melania sighed.

"Let us begin this again, Narcissa, Child of Black. I am Melania Cassiopeia Black and as you've worked out, the daughter of Sirius Black. I'm also somewhat protective of my father."

Narcissa gave a slight nod at the small apology.

"Forgive me," Narcissa, airing her confusion with a frown. "But where have you been all this time and what is your role in all of this?"

"My father hid me away before he was unjustly imprisoned," Melania snarled with venom in her voice. Once again Narcissa was reminded of Bella's rolling fury. "After he escaped he decided it was time I was introduced to Harry Potter. The two of us have been learning of each other ever since."

"No one knows of your existence," The elder woman shrewdly guessed, glancing between Melania and the obvious bodyguard Nymphadora. "You're working through Potter."

Melania's answering smirk was pure Black and Narcissa approved of the Slytherin manoeuvrer.

"I've yet to decide when I'll be coming out of the shadows," Melania went on. "If you need to send me a message then do so through Harry. As of now I wish to know about you. The Malfoys are refusing to see the shame they've brought upon my Family and I support Scion Potter's actions in this dispute."

Narcissa swallowed around the large lump that was building in her throat. _This_ was what she had suspected would be the topic of discussion.

"I can only agree," the Lady Malfoy admitted with painful resignation. Tears threatened to run at the painful truth. "You must warn Potter that Lucius' Mark grows darker each passing month. If the Dark Lord truly does return, I am sure the reason for his fall will be one his first targets."

For a brief moment weakness fluttered across the feminine version of Sirius' face and then the hard mask of a Black returned.

"You've been a loyal member of our Family, aunt Narcissa," Melania confirmed, laurel eyes softening in sympathy at the woman's plight. "You do so again by looking out for our brother House. Your husband will sign his own death sentence but I promise you, you'll be welcomed back into House Black with open arms."

"And Draco?" Narcissa's own weakness came to the forefront. She still loved the boy her son had been before Lucius had taken an interest in him. The answer was the best she could have hoped for.

"The fate of his father shall be his warning."

Melania pulled her hood over her head and left, Nymphadora following quickly behind. Narcissa sighed and sat on the nearby chair to run through everything she had learned. A smile flickered across her beautiful lips as she realised what the closeness of Melania Black and Nymphadora Tonks would mean for the Family.

"I'll be speaking to you soon, Andi," she promised the air.

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.

oOoOo

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.

Melania and Nymphadora took their time walking around Diagon Alley. Melania enjoyed being unknown to the Christmas crowd, something Harry would never know in this world, while her companion mused over what they had just done.

"That went a lot quicker than I thought it would be," Tonks confessed, apparently having forgiven the use of her first name.

"I didn't want to give her too many surprises," Melania shrugged as she eyed the stores' windows. "She knows we don't count her with the idiot blonds and we know she's got Harry's back. At least as long as it suits House Black."

"True..." Tonks admitted and then frowned as she realised where they were headed. "Why are we going to Ollivander's?"

"Because I need a wand?" Melania rolled her eyes and was about to enter the well-known shop when something in the window caught her eye.

It was a wand that seemed to call to her and Melania felt herself unable to look away from it. Something in the wand called to her, whispered to her and she felt as though the wand already knew her.

"Mel?" Tonks asked with concern.

Tonks' voice snapped Melania back to reality and she stormed into the store as though she owned it.

"Ah, Nymphadora Tonks. Yes, I remember your wand well, it was a..."

"Cedar, nine-and-a-half inches, flexible with the hair of a Griffin core," Melania interrupted.

"No," Ollivander frowned. The old man seemed surprised that someone had interrupted him. "That wand is a part of my window display. How did you know what it is?"

"It spoke to me," she frowned, suddenly realising how she was acting. "I'm sorry sir, I saw it and felt.. _something_...it knocked all the manners out of me."

"Not at all, dear lady," the Wandmaker waved away the apology as he moved out from behind his counter to retrieve the wand in question. "I can forgive almost anything for a chance to see if this wand reacts to you. It's been in the possession of my family almost since the beginning."

With reverence, the strange Mr. Ollivander held out the wand. Melania could tell it didn't like being held by the man and wanted her to take it.

"I never thought it would speak to someone," he confessed. "Especially since it's well known that the family it came from has no heirs."

"What family?" Tonks asked, still shaken by the turn of events.

"Why the Ravenclaw family of course." Ollivander chuckled. "This is the wand of Rowena Ravenclaw's sister."

Tonks blanched, her mouth going dry at the vicious smirk that Melania gave. It seemed it really was a family secret over the true identity of the other Ravenclaw woman. Melania reached out to take the wand and the moment hand met wood it glowed with acceptance. The air filled with magic and Ollivander clapped his hands with excitement.

"A perfect fit!"

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oOoOo


	17. Queen of the Ball, End of the Tournament

**AN: Yep, a massive chapter right on the heels of the last one. The two chapters are linked in my mind and it felt very off for me to leave the first hanging without sharing this. It's my longest one to date at a shade under 14K words (37 pages in OpenOffice).**

 **If you're curious about/don't like the massive time jump then consider that Harry has devoted almost his entire waking moment to his training while his friends are bogged down in classes that he isn't taking. I would much rather show you what he learns when it's needed rather than bore you with a breakdown of (mostly solo) lessons.**

 **wolfzero7 - I didn't mean Dumbles is Merlin but that the way people treat him is very Merlin-esque. He has three of the most important titles in Wizarding Britain and only his enemies believe he can do no wrong. His attitudes towards Light/Dark magic is an antithesis of everything the Blacks (Morgana's family) is against.**

 **FreeTraderBeowolf - Thank you and yes, the wand is about the caster reaching their potential, not raising them to a new potential level. I hope you enjoy Flitwick's magic discussion in this chapter before the third task.**

 **Blitzstrahl - I've always liked the idea of it being predestined for Harry to get the Horntail. However it was down to a really specific reason why I wanted Harry to fight and kill the Welsh rather than the Horntail. Ron's darker side will be revealed next year where he gets more than he bargained for. As for Harry/Tonks, I hope her explanation in this chapter explains one of the reasons why my answers have been hit and miss with whether it'll happen or if it'll only be a fling. As for Draco, I promise he'll get his chance to shine but I won't promise he'll take it.**

 **Vangran - Orion and Walburga are Sirius' parents, aunt and uncle to the Black Sisters.**

 **Guestamorph - _IF_ the Potters and Sirius had left baby Melania alone she would have been able to make the switch natural as well as partially changing her features ( I've thrown small hints of Harry's eyes turning into Melania's earlier in the story to show this ). She could have turned herself into a slightly effeminate looking boy (or any mixing of their features) in order to enjoy the experience. Unfortunately, as it stands, that's not possible because of the long-term effects of the potion.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Queen of the Ball and the end of the Tournament.

 _It is perhaps no surprise that a Child of Cadmus, he who was obsessed with piercing the veil between Life and Death, pushed the boundaries of Necromantic Magic to its limits._

 _Thomas Marvolo Riddle, a lost and forgotten boy raised by those who lacked the knowledge to do him justice._

 _Thomas Marvolo Riddle, a lost and forgotten boy who embraced the Power in order to never be weak again._

 _Thomas Marvolo Riddle, a lost and forgotten boy who grew up to break the very laws of Death._

 _Thomas Marvolo Riddle, the Dark Lord, the last Child of Cadmus of the Stone, who would fall at the feet of Harry James Potter, the last Child of Ignotus of the Cloak._

 _Balance between the Blood restored 31st October, 1981._

 **[ Extract from the** _ **Potter Book**_ **]**

 _25_ _th_ _December, 1994_

The days after Melania had met with Narcissa had been a hectic one for Harry. The school was abuzz with excitement over the Yule Ball yet somewhere in the chaos he had found out what the Twins dreamed of doing.

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oOoOo

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 _._

"A joke shop?" Harry asked, double-checking what he had heard. A part of him admitted that their pranks now made much more sense. "You want to open a joke shop?"

"Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" Fred declared with a disturbing grin. George nodded enthusiastically beside his brother. "Where the World will never stop laughing!"

Harry threw his head back against the chair with a groan. They were sitting in the Common Room late at night and Harry had finally gotten around to demanding what was bothering the two jokers.

"But that darn Bagman," George groused with a snarl that would have made Snape proud. "He paid us our World Cup winnings in Leprechaun gold and now refuses to own up."

 _That_ didn't truly surprise Harry and it gave new light to the man's attempts to aid him during the First Task. A few moments passed as Harry wondered about all the mayhem the Marauders would have got up to with a joke shop when the idea hit.

"Gentleman," he said, carefully. Harry lifted his head to give the two a vicious smirk that had them eyeing the other carefully. "I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse."

"Gred?"

"Yeah, Forge?"

"I think we might be in trouble, brother of mine."

"I think you might be right, brother dearest."

"Forget Bagman for a minute," Harry waved his hand through their tennis match of a conversation. "I want you two to start knuckling down. I used to underplay my schoolwork, so I know the signs, and you two have been giving them off since I entered Hogwarts. Enough, boys. Put your nose to the grindstone and do your best."

"And why would we do such a horrid thing, Harrikins?" They asked in unified mortification.

"Because then I'll invest in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," he told them, then chuckled at their stereo dropped jaws. "The entire start-up costs. You show me what you can do in your classes and NEWTS and I'll do everything in my power to make your dreams come true."

"Harry, old chap..."

"...We have to ask..."

"..WHY?"

The happiness the boys had at the offer was tempered slightly by the sadness that over took Harry's eyes.

"I know what it's like to have a dream," he sighed. There was a moments pause and he shook himself out of the maudlin thoughts. "You should be able to achieve yours."

"And the exams?" George asked with a puppy pout.

"No matter how smart any of us are and no matter how much we research," he explained, pointing a finger at both. Their looks of intent proving his words wouldn't go to waste. "There can always be someone out there who knows something we don't. Show that you mean business in your schoolwork and I bet Professor Flitwick and even McGonagall will answer questions that will help you in your jokes."

The twins put their heads together and whispered frantically in their half-speak. Harry waited. He knew he had them.

"Not to be a spoilsport," Fred eyed him suspiciously. "But how can you afford it?"

"Do you trust me?" Harry asked and, when they gave their immediate assurances, he smiled. "Then trust me that after this summer I can afford it. And I might even ask Padfoot and Moony to be consultants for you."

The two collapsed to the knees and Harry's laughter filled the Common Room as they bowed in declaration of their unworthiness. He was looking forward to seeing the looks when everyone realised how much the twins had changed.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Christmas morning had started off pleasant enough. Harry awoke early enough to make his way to the Honeydukes tunnel and call for Winky. The elf was excited to have him ask her to take him to Sirius rather than either of the others and she almost burst when he told her his plans.

The small family enjoyed their first Christmas breakfast together. For the two Marauders it brought tears to their eyes at what was lost and could have been, while for Harry it was a sign of what could be in the future.

The meal over and it was time for presents. The first were the elves with each given their own piece of personalised clothing. Dobby's collection of socks each had the toes section cut off so he could better pull them over his ear and not have it fall off. Winky was given a knitting set that had come about from one of her lessons with Melania. Apparently the little elf loved to knit clothing for her Masters and Mistresses. Kreacher got a very elegant top hat to go along with his youthful features. The rough-around-the-edges elf accepted it grudgingly.

Remus gave Harry advanced Defence books. Included were a few not on any Hogwarts reading list and came with the expressed instructions to keep them away from curious eyes. In return Harry handed over a small box that Sirius immediately recognised.

"Your potions box?" The Animagus asked with a frown. Remus gave the familiar password and carefully opened the box, only for Harry to catch it as it slipped through the werewolf's fingers.

"Harry...?" He stammered at his best friend's son.

"I had Snape make them," Harry told them, nervously. "It's only a few months worth but it means you'll be okay for a little while."

"Cub, I can't," Remus took a deep swallowed and was about to try again as Sirius took the box from Harry. The Marauder took one look inside the box and cut him off.

"Moony, I swear to Morgana you are not going to stand there and reject my godson's present!" Sirius growled at his long-time friend, only to turn to said godson with suspicious eyes. "But please tell me how in all that's holy did you afford bloody Wolfsbane?"

"I'm paying off for it," Harry mumbled, sheepishly. His cheeks grew hot at the two intense looks.

The potion was expensive and he had gone into the discussion expecting the Potions Master to overcharge him. If he accepted the job at all. Instead, Harry had been charged the price of the ingredients only with the labour charge taken out of Harry's free time. He was now having to spend a few hours every other day for two months cutting and dicing whatever would be needed for the next potions class. It was well worth the effort as far as Harry was concerned.

"Uh-uh," Sirius replied, unconvinced, and turned back to his friend. "Say thank you, Moony, and shut up."

"Thank you, Moony, and shut up," Remus repeated, breaking the unease in the room. The trio laughed and Harry received a huge hug from the emotional werewolf.

"I didn't get to do this last time," Sirius said with a childlike bounce in his chair when it was his turn. Dobby snapped his fingers and a brand new broomstick appeared in Sirius' waiting hand. "Firebolt Two."

Harry stared at the broom and then back to his godfather. The emotions swelled up inside him and he struggled with what to say. Tears threatened to spill and Remus saw the inner battle, quickly coming to their rescue.

"Say thank you, Padfoot, and shut up."

"Thank you, Padfoot, and..."

"Alright, already!" Sirius laughed, his hand swinging out to smack Remus around the head. The werewolf easily ducked the blow and pounced on his friend.

Harry quickly snatched the broom out of Sirius' hand as the two friends wrestled across the tent's carpet. He didn't know why he found the scene so funny but he did, the laughter and tears coming freely as he experienced what Christmas was truly about.

He carefully put the broom aside and gave Sirius a huge hug of thanks once the two ruffians finally settled down. A quick glance to Winky saw the elf nod and Harry excusing himself to his bedroom. The men looked at each other in curiosity and concern.

Sirius was nervous. He didn't know what Harry was up to but knew whatever it was, it had to be big. His sensitive nose picked up an air of almost pure fear flowing off his godson before the bedroom door had closed. A few minutes passed and he was about to shout out when the door opened and his heart stopped.

It took Remus a moment to realise who was standing in the doorway. In the end it was Moony's senses that gave him the answer; the unique scent of Lily and Sirius that could only come from an offspring.

"Cub?" His voice low, eyes keeping a careful watch over Sirius for his reaction.

Melania was a bundle of nerves. The corset-like top hugged her, giving her the emotional support they seemed to always provide, while she was still getting used to the strangeness of wearing a skirt. She'd forgone any make-up and her hair hung loose and free behind her. Her heart was stuttering in fear at being rejected and she'd only been able to look towards Remus. She didn't want to see rejection in her father's eyes.

"I..." Sirius tried to speak as he stepped closer but the emotions had a death grip around his throat. "You took it."

Her dark laurel-green eyes jumped from the smiling werewolf to that of her father's and she was overwhelmed with the pride and happiness she saw in his grey gaze.

"You look so beautiful," Sirius found his voice as soon as he saw the fear on her face, his arms opening wide for the onrushing Melania. "My daughter."

The three cried tears of happiness and, for a brief moment, all was right in the world.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Melania wasn't able to stay long, not with Harry needing to be fresh faced and bushy-tailed for the Yule Ball. Yet the couple of hours she was able to spend with her father and honorary uncle meant everything to the three of them.

A change of body and clothes, a spin of the Black Watch, and Harry Potter was able to spend the rest of Christmas morning with his school friends, no one the wiser about his emotional trip. The gifts between the unusual group of students had been the usual fare of sweets and books.

And then it was time to get ready and the reason why Harry stood at the foot of the stairs leading up to the girls dorm almost as nervous as he had been in the tent.

Harry and Neville were in exceptionally cut robes. That Harry's was of a higher quality was neither mentioned nor cared about by either brother in all but blood. They couldn't help share a laughing look when Ron had appeared in his horrible hand-me-downs to escort Lavender Brown.

Hermione was the first to appear. Her hair was controlled and pulled up into a majestic knot at the top of her head that allowed a few tendrils to drop on either side of her face. The periwinkle-blue dress clearly proved to one-and-all that she was a beautiful young woman and Harry had to nudge Neville in the ribs to get his friend breathing again.

She smiled sheepishly at the silent compliment and made her way carefully down the stairs. Immediately all of Neville's breeding took over and he offered his perfectly angled elbow for her to take. It was only then that Harry noticed she wore pale blue gloves.

"Natalia is coming soon," she told him after the young couple had exchanged kisses on the cheeks. "She wanted us to go on ahead."

"That's fine," he smiled with a wave of the hand, pulling her into a quick one-armed hug just before the two left. "You look lovely, 'Mione. Do I have to give you the Big Brother talk, Nev?"

Neville's laughter was made all the louder by Hermione's smack at Harry's arm. She gave her friend a playfully dismissive sniff and dragged her date away much to the amusement of both boys. Harry turned back to the stairs and didn't have to wait long for Tonks to appear.

He had to admit her Natalia shape was a looker. This was made more so by the midnight blue dress cut just a few hairs shy of being too mature for their young bodies. Her hair was loose and framed her face perfectly. Harry felt himself smiling up at her and she made her way down the steps.

"And not a single tumble," he joked as he offered his arm. Like Hermione early, this too ended up with him getting his arm smacked. "Hey, I'm going to be bruised!"

"You can handle it, hot stuff," she sniffed at him with a grin. Harry wondered if the put-down sniffs were a genetic thing for all females.

The two made their way to the Great Hall, laughing and joking the entire time. They waved to their friends and moved up to the tartan clad McGonagall with Harry giving her a friendly smile. Flitwick had sat Harry down and asked, for the little Professor's sake, to give the Transfiguration Mistress another chance. It wasn't until Harry was given her Animagus book and heard the story behind it that he actually agreed.

He only hoped the chance wouldn't go to waste.

Harry and Natalia said hello to Cedric and Susan. The girl had been surprised when the Hufflepuff Champion had asked her to be his date, not used to any real attention that wasn't about getting close to her aunt. She had eagerly accepted when Cedric explained how her support of him, while still being close friends with Harry, had impressed him and made him want to improve as a person. Much like her aunt, Susan was a sucker for a good looking man with a few rough edges that tried to be good.

To the surprise of all, Victor had asked Hermione to be his date. She'd respectfully declined but suggested the ever excitable Hannah as a replacement. "She won't fawn over your name and she'll kick your arse if you tried anything inappropriate" had apparently been exactly what the Bulgarian Quidditch star was looking for.

Harry was grateful to have so many of his friends close by. The appearance of Fleur with Roger Davis completed the set of Champions and an eager McGonagall had them enter the Hall.

The four couples took their places on the dance floor as everyone else settled into a good position to watch. The music began and Harry gave himself up to the moment, holding Tonks close as they moved with seemingly no effort across the floor.

"I love your eyes," he whispered to her. The intense look clearly saying which eyes he was talking about.

"They freak people out," was the sad confession. It was getting more difficult for her to remember their age gap as the dance continued. Harry's hold was secure and protective while his acceptance of her being a metamorph was a seduction all of its own.

"We've already established that people are idiots," he grinned and she giggle in reply. All too soon, for both of them, the dance was over and they were being ushering to the top table.

Percy Weasley, in brand new robes and carrying a snotty attitude that wouldn't have been out of place on Lucius Malfoy, pointed at the chair next to him and Harry shrugged. He pulled back Tonks' chair and only took his own when she had settled in.

"I've been promoted," Percy declared with equal parts pride and malice. "Thanks to you, the Department is in uproar over poor Mr. Crouch and now I'm part of group that's keeping everything running until Mr. Diggory can take over."

"Congratulations?" Harry threw out when Percy stopped for breath. The middle Weasley had always confused him and this night it seemed to be no different.

The meal itself was delicious and talk moved up and down the table freely. Harry almost chocked on a carrot when Dumbledore was explaining how a room filled with chamber pots had appeared then disappeared, immediately thinking of the Room of Requirement. Thankfully the old man was looking in the other direction and Harry was able to put his neutral mask on by the time eyes turned his way.

The night pasted pleasantly enough. After the meal, Harry and Tonks quickly escaped from the top table and mingled with their friends, even swapping dance partners.

To the surprise of all, Fleur Delacour approached carefully with not a single Roger in sight.

"May I?" She asked Tonks who blinked and shrugged defiantly. Fleur took it as permission and nodded her thanks. "Merci."

Harry automatically took the offered hand and went with the Beauxbatons Champion onto the dance floor. They shared a silence as the French girl collected her thoughts.

"You are an interesting man, Harry Potter," she told him with only a seductive tinge of a French accent rather than the heavily butchered English she had spoken in the past. "You took on the dragon and killed it."

"It made me angry," he answered with his bland smile. That it was the truth only made the situation more impressive and they both knew it. His Slytherin side was doing its best to calculate what the girl could want with him and why she would reveal her control over the English language.

"Perhaps," Harry wondered how one could pull an elegant shrug as they were being twirled around. "Yet you can also dance with me without my allure affecting you."

"I've been through a lot," Harry gave the only answer he could, not knowing enough about Veela to know why her magic didn't confuse him.

"Oui," she nodded at the honesty. The song ended and they continued to dance into the next one. "And I must apologise for my words that day...the snooty girl routine sometimes takes a life of its own and I speak before I think."

"Miss Delacour, you seem like you could be a lovely girl to know," Harry said when she slipped back into her silence. "But something tells me there's something more to these dances than an apology. One I accept, by the way."

"Oui. There is," she sighed and her magic leaked to give Harry the same sense of a breeze he had felt around her before. "Being a Veela, it is a hard life, Harry Potter. A difficult life with the way some of the Wizarding World treats those not considered normal."

"The man I consider my uncle is a werewolf. I understand."

She nodded, her brow furrowing as she attempted to get to the crux of the matter.

"Your magic has changed. It is as feminine as my own yet still masculine as it was before," Harry stumbled and it was only a quick swirl by Fleur as she took the lead of the dance that kept watching eyes from noticing. "Oui, I feel it. I do not know what or why but I wish to offer myself as someone to listen to if you need it."

He didn't know what to say and any decision was taken away when the song ended and she stepped away from him.

"Zank you for ze dance, Monsieur," she said loudly, back to her heavy accent, and curtsied. Without a glance back she was off into the crowd to find her date.

"Everything okay?" Tonks asked with worry once Harry returned to her. He blinked and shook himself down, bringing his mind back to the moment.

"I'll tell you about it later," he promised.

Not too long later another Champion made their way over to Harry's group. Cedric and Susan were smiling happily and even holding hands, something that made the romantic in Tonks stand up and shout with happiness.

"Harry, I wanted to thank you for the heads up," Cedric immediately said, taking Harry's hand in a firm shake. "Really. Thank you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ced," He told the older boy with his most innocent face. "As far as I know, it was the sneaky Susan told you whatever it is you think I told you."

"Sure," Cedric grinned back with a deep chuckle. "I'm afraid I'm not sneaky like you, I'm only a lowly Hufflepuff."

"Hey!" Susan cried with Tonks mentally doing the same. "What does that say about me?"

"That you're your aunt's niece," Daphne chirped up from the table. The Slytherin Ice Queen had gone against the flow and refused all invitations so she could be on her own, preferring to enjoy watching Tracey and Blaise get closer together.

Susan blinked at the answer and then beamed, nodding happily in agreement in a way that sent her hair flying everywhere. The two boys shared a masculine grin while the others laughed.

"Have you opened the egg yet?"

"Bloody thing almost killed my hearing," Harry replied and those around them all raised their voices in outrage at the egg's horrible sound as though he had threatened to open the egg then and there.

"Trust me, it sounds a lot better under water," Cedric told him, immediately turning to Susan so he could kiss the back of her hand. "And now I'll get us some drinks."

"Ain't he sweet?" She blushed and giggled once he was out of earshot. The others laughed at the obviously smitten girl.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

A while later and Harry and Tonks, now out of their dress clothes, were sharing some quiet time in the Room of Requirement and enjoying bottles of Butterbeer supplied by the eager Dobby. They'd slipped away from the celebration early and already used the room's magic to test the egg's clue beneath water. Harry had not been happy when they worked out something, or _someone_ , he cared about would be taken from him.

His dark thoughts were derailed when Tonks had Winky appear with a beautifully carved wooden box. Harry had a flashback to giving Remus his gift as he lifted the lid to reveal a set of ornate knives.

Every child of Black was taught how to use a knife with the females were especially trained in the skill. It was a big day for a young Black girl to receive her first daggers and Harry gave Tonks a hug worthy of the gift.

"Here," He took out a small vial of purple liquid from his pocket and offering it to her once they separated.

"What's that?" Tonks asked with a heavy suspicion that only grew at his smirk.

"It's a watered down version of the potion your mum threatened you with," Harry laughed when she quickly backed away from the vial as though it could influence her by proximity. "Only this one keeps your involuntary changes under control. Think of it like reverse Polyjuice for metamorphs."

"So I can't change?" She snarled at the thought and Harry quickly shook his head.

"No, you can," he promised. "But your body won't change on its own. You won't risk breaking any undercover work with a quick shift."

Tonks looked back and forth between Harry and the vial. If the liquid did what he promised it would mean she could take any undercover work offered and not worry about losing control. She quickly frowned, her Black suspicious nature seeing too much of a good thing.

"How does it work?" She demanded to know.

"A few drops of your blood to link it to you and then a sip every few hours. It should be far enough apart to not arouse suspicions but Sirius wasn't exactly sure on the time frame."

Harry smiled when she gingerly took it, relief flooding him at the gift being accepted. "Merry Christmas."

She launched herself at him and the two wrapped each other in tight hugs. As she was pulling away Harry cupped her cheek to stall the movement and, with bravery he didn't know he had, leaned in to kiss her.

The touch of lips felt wonderful and it was over far too quickly for Harry. Tonks pulled away, shaking her head as she looked at him.

"Oh no, hot stuff," She waved her hands between them as though to ward him off. "We are _so_ not doing that. You're far too young for me. I'm 20 and you're fourteen for Merlin's sake!"

"Almost fifteen," Harry argued and winced at how immature the argument was.

"Almost twenty-one!"

Harry's face fell with sadness and Tonks quickly stepped closer to take his hands in hers.

"If this was me?" She said with a wave to encompass her Natalia body. "The real me, then absolutely yes. But it's not, Harry. It's not."

The pain was real and so was the regretful sigh Harry made but Tonks could see that the words had hit their mark with him.

"Maybe when I'm older." He gave her a valiant attempt at a cheeky grin that had her smiling. Very little was said for the rest of the night. The two were simply caught up in their own thoughts.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _24th February, 1995_

The lead up to the second task had been surprisingly gentle by Harry's standards. He and Tonks had allowed the kiss to fade into the background and their friendship continued to grow, especially as she taught Melania how to use the knives. Skeeter had attempted to write a scathing account of Fleur 'seducing' another Champion only to be pulled over the coals by Monsieur Delacour, who turned out to be high up in the French Ministry with political power to make the gossip monger's life a nightmare.

The complete retraction of her article had the added benefit of soothing over the problems from her revealing Hagrid's half-giant heritage. Harry had felt bad for his friend and was shocked to realise how little they had seen each other that year.

Even more shocking was the very small amount of research Harry was required to do. The moment Neville heard about the task he explained the fabulous properties of gillyweed. That, combined with Tonks teaching him the Bubble-Head charm as a back-up, had Harry actually confident in his chances.

The morning of the task had him decide on a light breakfast and to skip his early run. Hermione's lecture about the effects of both on a body having to go under water quickly turned him off the idea of doing anything but what she suggested. Harry frowned when his gaze looked around the Hall and he wasn't able to find Susan or Hannah. The worried look on Cedric's face meant the Hufflepuff didn't know where the girls were either.

His concern hadn't settled when he started the familiar walk to the Black Lake. He was so focused on his missing friends that he didn't notice a nervous Arthur Weasley until the Weasley Patriarch appeared in front of him. Harry indicated for his friends to carry on and the friendly man smiled in thanks at the chance to speak to him alone.

"Scion Potter, I wish to fully and unreservedly apologise for the part my son Ronald had in that article," the man declared as soon as the others were out of earshot. All nerves disappearing as he spoke from his heart. "I didn't raise him to be this way and I don't know what happened."

"Sir," Harry stood taller, slipping into his Scion persona with relative ease. "I have to say I was disappointed but not surprised by his actions. Ronald has been showing signs of blind jealousy for a while now. My surprise actually comes from not hearing from Mrs. Weasley about our fight."

"I banned her from howlers," the older man sheepishly explained. "I had Bill change the wards so any howler would be destroyed crossing them."

Harry couldn't hide the smile at the news. He was about to accept the apology when the twins appears beside them, fear etching their features.

"Harry..."

"...Dad..."

"...Have you seen Ginny?" They pleaded together.

Both Harry and Arthur frowned at the question and both had flashbacks to Harry's second year.

"Mr. Weasley, your family is still important to me. One bad apple does not destroy a friendship between House Potter and her allies," Harry spoke quickly and the twins twitched as they understood what they had interrupted. "So let's put it behind us and find out what's happened to Ginny?"

"Agreed," Arthur said, already turning so that the four could march their way to the waiting teachers at the Lake's edge.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry called loud enough for many of the waiting crowd to hear. "We're missing Ginny Weasley."

"And where in Merlin's beard is my niece, Dumbledore!" Growled an irate Amelia Bones as she stormed towards them, quickly followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt. "She was supposed to say hello before this stunt got started."

Harry looked at Cedric and both shared a horrified look with Victor. All three had the same idea.

"And Hannah!" They said together.

"Ah. Well, I see you've worked out who it is you have to rescue," Dumbledore told them in a far too calm tone.

Seven irate faces glared at the Headmaster. Each silently demanding an explanation.

"Mr. Diggory will have to rescue Miss Bones, Mr. Krum will rescue Miss Abbot, Miss Delacour will rescue her sister Gabrielle..."

"What?!" The silver-haired girl screeched, the air around her sizzling as her Veela side threatened to break free. "You put my sisteer in ze Lake!"

"...and Mr Potter will rescue Miss Weasley," Dumbledore finished as though he hadn't been interrupted. Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.

"Yule date, Yule date, sister," He pointed to each Champion and then himself. "The sister of my two friends here. How exactly is she 'what I will miss the most'?"

"My Susan would not have wanted anything to do with this," Amelia snarled, getting into Dumbledore's personal space. Kingsley quickly moved up beside her in case she reached for her wand. He was privately hoping she went the physical route. "So I will ask you this only once. Did you ask them to volunteer?"

"Non!" Fleur declared before he could lie. "My sizter hates ze water. She would not do zis."

"Harry, please," Fred tugged on Harry's robes and he saw the panicked, almost wild look in the ginger's eyes. "She's our sister. Please."

"Screw this," Harry snapped, sending one last look of fury at Dumbledore before striding towards the water. "Champions, lets go get our people."

He quickly threw off his outer layer of clothes and tossed in a mouthful of gillyweed. He was diving into the cold water before the special plant could start its work and the other Champions were mere seconds behind.

Fleur and Cedric quickly cast the Bubble-Head charm while Krum did a partial human-to-animal transfiguration. Once all four were underwater, the crowd eagerly watched the Head of the DMLE chew out the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Her powerful voice allowed nearly everyone to understand the cock-up transpiring in front of them even without a _Sonorus_ involved.

It was only Bagman who was worried that the task itself had not actually started.

Harry made good timing in finding the four girls. He was surprised when he found Helena floating alongside Moaning Myrtle and they were able to guide him directly to the merpeople's small village. The gillyweed was a miracle as far as Harry was concerned, the webbing for his hands and feet enabling him to hover next to the girls easier than if he was in his normal form.

As he waited for the other Champions he couldn't help wondering what would happen if he changed into Melania. Would the gillyweed effects follow? That question was followed by a thought that had tormented him since the Ball.

What would Melania have worn and who she would have decided to go with...

It was Cedric who was the first of the three real Champions to arrive, his Bubble-Head charm making his features distorted in the water. As soon as the Hufflepuff was close enough, Harry cut the rope holding Susan to the floor with a carefully aimed _Diffindo_. She floated up, directly into the waiting arms of Cedric. He gave Harry a quick thumbs up and then began the swim to the surface.

Next was Victor in his half-shark form and Harry shivered at the idea of those too sharp teeth getting anywhere near the bubbly Hannah. A swish of his wand had her free so that the Bulgarian didn't get anywhere near his friend's ankles.

The merpeople were getting agitated, not liking Harry's fair play in the slightest. As the time ran down, Harry feared Fleur wasn't going to make it and decided to take the remaining girls with him. Only for the merpeople to stop him.

¬"this one stays here"¬ One of the fiercer looking warriors demanded, the sharp pitchfork pointed at the little blonde's chest.

Harry's eyes narrowed and the water around him began to boil. His deep anger uncoiled at the idea of leaving someone behind. He pointed his wand at the merman and gave a feral grin.

" _Relashio!"_ He cried, pouring his magic into the spell to overpower it. A great wash of boiling water jettisoned from the wand's tip to send the merman screeching into the darkness. Most of his followers were caught in the backwash and those who weren't smartly decided to keep away.

Harry knew he was running out of time with the gillyweed. He hurriedly cut the girls free and hooked an arm around each, putting all of his strength into each kick towards the surface.

He took shallower breaths as he rose, not wanting to be caught unaware when his body could no longer tolerate taking in water. His fears had been right and Harry felt the gillyweed painfully wearing off, forcing him to quickly held his breath. His body was already aching from the stress of swimming with two dead weights and it was only the fitness regime he had put himself through that allowed him to keep going. The surface glistened tantalising close as Harry's vision began to darkened and he wasn't sure he could make it.

With a huge heave Harry pushed Ginny and Gabrielle upwards, the moment forcing his own body to float back towards the depths. There was one thing he could use to make sure the girls got to the surface. Harry took careful aim even as his body felt like it was going to burst and fired off a low powered banishing charm that forced the girls up. Newton's law kicked in and his body spun wildly, the physical and biology darknesses threatening to take him. Harry prayed he was facing in the right direction when he shot off a second charm. This one using all of his remaining strength.

The girls reached the surface of the water and the spell keeping them asleep broke. Grogginess rapidly turned to panic as they realised where they were. The twins pulled off their robes the moment they saw the red and blonde heads and dived into the Lake.

Ginny knew how to swim, she'd loved being taught by her father as she was growing up, but she didn't know how to help a frightened little girl from drowning. The only thing that kept the youngest Weasley sane was seeing her brothers on their way as she fought with the wide-eyed blonde's instincts in order to keep them both afloat.

And then suddenly there was a giant splash beside her as Harry's body was pushed half out of the water. For half a second she felt her heart clench at the idea of Harry dying in his attempt to save her and the girl, and then he was gasping desperately for air.

"Oh Harry!" She cried out. He frantically looked around for them and quickly helped take the thrashing girl off Ginny. "I didn't do this, I promise. I didn't want this."

"I know, Gin," he coughed painfully. The little girl had wrapped herself around him but Ginny could see through her hair that see his eyes were bloodshot and drooping. She almost fainted with relief when the twins finally reached them.

"Easy does it, sis," Fred said as his strong arms wrapped around her.

"I got you, Harry," George promised. "Thank you. Thank you for getting her."

"Damn merpeople," Harry growled low, not really knowing what he was saying. "They wanted to keep Gabrielle."

There was uproar once the five made it to the shore and Harry was propped up with a Pepper-Up potion. The judges had decided to take the rescuing as the task, ignoring the time frame stipulation since no one counted off when Harry had hit the water. Amelia and a man Harry could only guess was Monsieur Delacour were tag-teaming Dumbledore as Fleur and the Twins babied their little sisters.

"He'll lose his Supreme Mugwump position," Tonks whispered beside Harry. He gave a look of confusion that had her explain. "The Delacours have International Status. Fleur had to get special dispensation to enter the Tournament and at no point was the little one's name included in that allowance. Dumbledore could have sparked a war with France over this."

"He didn't mean to," Harry said, his mental exhaustion battling the Pepper-Up. "He just thinks he knows best."

The last part was said as a mumble. Madam Pomfrey was quickly at Tonks' side with her wand to lift Harry up and take him into the recovery tent that Amelia had demanded be set up.

Harry had charged to the rescue of four girls who had not been asked to be hostages to merpeople, fought the very same merpeople in order to make sure one was not left behind, and almost drowned in making sure that the two youngest was safe. His points tally after two tasks might see him being last but his actions, added to killing a dragon in the first task, meant that no one cared. The Romanticism of the moment, and the legacy that was Harry Potter, simply overtook everything else.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _16th May, 1995_

Tonks' prediction had proven to be correct. Dumbledore had been suspended from his position as Supreme Mugwump while an investigation was ongoing about how Gabrielle Delacour had found herself at the bottom of a Lake filled with merpeople. Apparently it was well known that merpeople and Veela had a very bad history with each other. It was so bad that rarely did the two races get close without blows being thrown, so how Dumbledore expected it all to be fine was beyond anyone's guess.

To prove his strong stance, Minister Fudge had declared that the next school year would have a Ministry inspector in order to find out 'Just what is going on with our children's education.' That important family heiresses in Susan and Hannah had been entered as hostages without family consent made it easy enough for the Minister to push through the decree.

On a smaller scale, poor Ginny was being driven mad by the terrible twins. They had been horrified to realise that Dumbledore had taken her the night before and swore to always be by her side. There was a small betting pool among the Gryffindors over how badly Ginny would hurt them once she lost her infamous temper.

Although at the moment, Harry had far more worrying matters to focus on. He had been given leave by Flitwick to attend a meeting at Hogsmeade with the Delacours and found himself unsure of the entire thing.

Gabriel Delacour was an imposing man. Not of size but his presence, and Harry could easily see how he had made a name for himself within the French political system. The man came across as knowing what he was talking about, a strong listener and the dark eyes held incredible intelligence that turned to pure love when he looked upon Apolline Delacour.

The mother of Fleur and Gabrielle was a blonde bombshell who carried her beauty with ease. Harry had felt her Veela aura the moment he had entered the private room of the Three Broomsticks, not number three this time, and it was much calmer than that of her oldest daughter's.

The two girls were happy to see him in the private setting, with little Gabrielle frantically switching between passible English and a mile-a-minute French ramble.

"You're surprised we speak English so well?" Apolline had said at Harry's stunned look.

"Yes and no, Lady Delacour," he answered, honestly. "I suspected you would know some given your invitation, especially after Fleur showed her knowledge, but I try to never narrow my thinking. It was always possible Fleur was an exception."

Fleur blushed when Gabriel gave her a sideways look at the news of her revelation to Harry.

"A wise and mature philosophy, Harry," she smiled her approval and sent a wink to her oldest daughter. "And I must repeat, please call me Apolline."

Their meal went by pleasantly with a mixture of English and French dishes. Harry tried a bit of everything and found much he enjoyed. When the food had vanished thanks to their family elf, Monsieur Delacour got to business.

"Scion Potter..."

"Gabriel!" Apolline snapped. Harry had no idea what the French was that followed but he recognised the familiar wincing of a man being told off.

"My apologises. Harry..." He paused to get the much happier nod from his wife. "As much as this is a thank you for saving our daughter, I confess there is another reason we asked you here."

"I assumed as much, sir," Harry replied, leaning back in an attempt to find a comfortable position. Apolline's cough had he amend his statement. "Gabriel. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

"Fear, Harry," Gabriel confessed, mirroring Harry's actions so that they could stare at each other across the table. "A man in my position hears much and I hear worrying news. News that the Dark might be rising again in this country."

"I wish I could tell you that it wasn't happening. I really do."

"But you cannot," Gabriel nodded with a sigh. The man carefully took hold of his glass and brought the brandy to his lips. The next question was asked moments before he took the sip. "Is _he_ still alive?"

Harry didn't have to ask who _he_ was. Apparently he didn't have to answer either.

"What are you plans when he returns?" Apolline asked and Harry felt cornered by the intense questions and wished Tonks was with him. Fleur picked up on his unease and reached across to place a slender hand over his.

"Harry," she spoke calmly as though trying to calm a wild animal. "Trust me, please. They only want to know about you."

Harry squirmed a little and then pulled his emotions under control.

"I will stand and defend myself, my Family and my friends," he told the eager Delacour family. "He's a monster and deserves nothing more than to be put down."

"I shall drink to that," Gabriel toasted the air and took another sip of his drink. His eyes took on a sharpness over the glass. "And your thoughts on magic?"

"Magic?" Harry frowned.

"Oui. Magic. Light, Dark, Grey. Magic."

"I'm a Potter with a Black godfather, Gabriel," Harry told the man in a firmer voice. _This_ was something Harry was more comfortable discussing. "Magic is intent and it is down to each of us what we do with it."

Fleur squeezed his hand and sat back, Apolline had a proud smile and Gabriel looked impressed.

"He'll do, husband."

"Oui, ma chérie d'amour," Gabriel smiled at his wife and then handed Harry a small box. "You are a good and strong young man, Harry. My family has had dealings with yours for many years and I knew Charlus. This token is a sign of my desire to reacquaint our families."

"What is it?" Harry asked. The box was small and he carefully opened it, finding a ring nestled inside. It had a single black stone with a blood-red fleur-de-lis carved into its surface.

"It is a symbol of my family's honour," Gabriel explained. "The ring is an extremely powerful portkey, Harry. An old family magic that will allow you to escape anywhere and appear where I am. All three of my girls have such an item."

Harry could only stare mutely at the man across from him.

"It is a one time deal," he continued. "The magic is capable of ripping through perhaps even your Hogwarts wards in order to bring you to me, to safety. But only once, then it will be only a simple ring. I warn you; the more powerful the magic, the more unpleasant the trip will be."

"Why?" Harry was finally able to ask.

"As I said; our families were allies once and I wish that to be so again," Gabriel shrugged as though it was nothing of importance. "As for why it brings you to me? I much prefer my family and allies coming to me rather than some secondary place that might have been compromised."

Harry went to take the ring out of the box when once again he found Fleur's hand encasing his.

"Harry," she warned, sending a sharp glare at her father who merely starred blankly back. "In our culture, if you take out the gift then you must take it. One does not pick up and discard such a thing."

He smiled at Fleur, perhaps the most open smile of his entire lunch with the Delacours, and softly squeezed her hand.

"I know."

Her returning smile lit up the room. Harry listened to Gabriel's instructions as he slid the priceless object over his right ring finger.

"To use it, you must have your skin touching the fleur-de-lis and say 'I choose liberté'."

"Gabriel, Apolline, Fleur, Gabrielle," Harry nodded to each. "House Potter and House Black welcome you with open arms as friends and allies."

"Magnifique!" Apolline declared as little Gabrielle leapt off her chair to crush Harry in a powerful hug.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

18th April, 1995

Neither Harry nor Cedric were impressed. The four Champions stood together with Bagman as they looked at the desecration of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch.

"Maze," Krum grunted and Harry winced. There had been a far too energetic betting pool between his friends over what the final task was and more than simply money had been suggested.

"That's right!" Bagman clapped his hands in glee and Harry wished he was allowed to smack the joy out of the idiot. He wasn't the only one who felt the same way given Fleur's cold look. "The third task is perhaps the simplest of them all. The Tri-Wizard Cup will be placed in the centre of the maze. The first Champion to touch it will receive full marks."

"You ze, Harry? You must seemply beat us to the Cup in order to win." Fleur playfully smirked in her faux voice. "And we seemply 'ave to get through the maze?"

"Oh, no," Bagman happily bounced. "There are obstacles; Hagrid is giving up some beasts, you'll have some spells to overcome, the usual."

The usual? Harry's eyebrows raised at the sentence and the other Champions were equally put off by the idiot's dismissive nature to the dangers.

Since there really wasn't much any of them could ask Bagman, it was a quiet group who made their way to the entrance to Hogwarts where the two foreign Champions then headed towards their respective buildings. Harry and Cedric found Professor Flitwick waiting as they entered the school.

"Evening, gentleman. I see you've seen what's happened to your beloved pitch."

"It's a travesty, Professor!" Cedric declared only for the small teacher to chuckle at their reaction.

"I'm sure it is, Mister Diggory," Flitwick said soothing voice. "If you'll excuse me, I need to work with my Apprentice."

"Of course, sir. Harry."

The two boys shared a nod and Harry watched the older one depart.

"There is something I wish to teach you, Harry," Flitwick explained as they made their way to the seventh floor. "It is earlier than I had planned but I want to give you time before the final task."

"Why sir?" Harry frowned. He hadn't realised they were actually following some type of schedule and wondered what it would mean for the following year.

"Because the closer it comes, the more uneasy I feel," was the honest answer that had Harry staring in shock at his teacher. "Yes, Apprentice, I think all those in your corner are feeling it and I will not have my preparation of your survival found wanting."

He would have been a fool to argue against the Professor. Once Harry had opened up his personalised room and they were standing on the platform, he found out what the Duelling Master had in store.

"Tell me, Apprentice. What do you need to cast a spell?"

"A wand." Harry automatically said, frowning at how simple the question seemed. "A wand, the movement, the word."

"So a Muggle could cast if they had all three?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly," Flitwick declared, doing his own little bounce of excitement. Harry blinked in confusion and ran over the question again.

Filius grinned as he saw the realisation fill Harry and asked the question again. "What do you need to cast a spell?"

"Magic," Harry answered without pause, his own grin just as wide as his teacher's. "It's possible to do spells without movement, silently and wandlessly."

"Exactly. The wand, the words, the movement, they are all foci that help channel the magic into the intended result."

Now Harry was getting excited and Flitwick chuckled as the enthusiasm poured off him.

"I cannot teach you how to cast wandlessly," Flitwick admitted with a touch of distaste at being denied the pleasure. "You must find your own path for that. But what I can do is teach you how to bypass the word and the movement."

"How?" Harry asked.

"By using something called chaining," Flitwick explained as he waved his wand around like a baton. "We've discussed the differences between a duel and a fight."

"Yes, sir. A duel is structured and most of the time technique and talent will win. A fight can end because one person is simply that much faster than the other."

"Indeed. A dueller is capable of incorporating this into their style by a technique called Chaining. That is, to link one end of a spell into another so that you are continuously casting."

"Wait," Harry held up his hand and thought back through the many lessons they had had together. "You've done that to me."

"Indeed, Apprentice." Flitwick admitted without any hint of remorse. "But I only did the first step, the linking."

"What are the other steps?"

"When your casting and thinking become closer in synch. A dueller, or fighter, will not realise it but they sometimes miss out a part of the movement or mispronounce a spell. Yet their spell is still cast, sometimes flawlessly. This is their first step away from relying on the foci of either word or movement."

"But sir," Harry interrupted as he saw the flaw in the argument. "If it was that simple then everyone would be doing it."

"Indeed," Filius nodded and then sighed. "Sadly there is one drawback to any removal of foci and that is a loss of power. You use more, and less, magic per spell the less foci you use."

"How can it be both more and less?" He frowned, swinging from excitement back into confusion.

"Some magic is lost inside a wand, some within the word or movement themselves, but the extra control means we don't mind. We learn, as you did on your own, how to regulate the results."

Harry nodded. It was the first thing he experimented with back in September.

"When you initially give up a foci, you must use more magic to compensate for the lack of focus..."

"...and it's only when you learn how to control the compensation that you gain better control," Harry finished off the explanation with a slap to his forehead. "And most people only see the initial drop in power."

It was exactly what he had to learn when cooking for the Dursleys. Take away one ingredient and there was an imbalance that the others couldn't fix without adjustment. Flitwick's grin was filled with pride that had Harry feel ten feet tall.

"But enough of that. First comes Chaining. Defend yourself!"

It would be a long, long night for Harry.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

24th June, 1995

The school was abuzz from the combination of exams and the final task. With Cedric and Harry bookending Krum and Fleur in the scores it meant there was still everything to play for; all Harry needed to win was to come first, Cedric last and hope the other two fell away.

Easy really.

Tonks was ripping her Natalia hair out. She was having to take all the exams required of her undercover role while in a constant panic about Harry. Aside from his training with Flitwick, and spending time with his friends, he had spent larger pieces of time learning everything needed to be Melania Black. Tonks knew a big part of it was to hide from the growing sense of dread building and felt helpless.

"Mister. Potter, the Champions are congregating in the chamber off to the Hall," McGonagall told Harry at breakfast as the others were making their way to their exams.

He nodded and rose, the other Champions doing the same at their tables, and followed her to the small room. Harry had to admit that his Animagus meditations had been coming along much better since using her book. According to Sirius he should have found his animal by now.

McGonagall stopped at the chamber door and indicated for the other Champions to go in first to leave the two of them alone outside.

"I haven't been a very good Head of House to you, Harry," she confessed and he did her the honour of not pretending otherwise. "I can give you reasons, good reasons, but I thought I would show you that I am trying to change."

"Professor?" He frowned, not knowing where she was going with the speech.

"Albus wanted you to have the Weasleys here," she continued as though not hearing him, a slight wrinkling of the nose gave away her opinion of that idea. "But I knew there was a real family for you to be with today."

She opened the door and ushered Harry in. He was immediately faced with the image of Cedric surrounded by his beaming parents. Mr. Diggory had finally taken over the job that Barty Crouch had been removed from, much to the dismay of Percy Weasley. Victor was talking to his parents in one of the corners the Bulgarian seemed to prefer, while Fleur and the Delacours were having an animated discussion on French. Little Gabrielle waved at Harry and each Delacour adult sent a blink-and-you'd-miss-it nod at him.

It was the last three were the pleasant surprise.

A large and healthy looking grim was sitting in the middle of the room, its far too intelligent eyes watching Harry. Its thick tail wagged happily on the stone floor and there was a familiar grin in the way its tongue was hanging out. Beside Padfoot stood a much cleaned up Remus Lupin, looking as healthy as he ever had. They were two days away from the new moon which meant his wolf was as settled as it could be.

On the other side of the Padfoot was a tall woman with the long black hair so common of the women with Black blood. Harry easily saw the familiarity with Narcissa and recognised the fuller lips of Tonks' real form.

Andromeda Tonks.

Harry broke into a huge grin and turned back to the watching McGonagall. There was a small flicker of doubt in her usually stern eyes that faded at the sight of his happiness.

"Thank you," Harry whispered before walking quickly to his true family.

She felt her heart swell as Harry's mask fell away. She watched the enthusiastic rough play with Sirius' Animagus form and the friendly banter with Remus that took years off the older man's face. When Andromeda pulled Harry into a hug rather than a shake of the hands, McGonagall quickly left before the tears could fall.

"Thank you, Filius," she said to the air, glad that she had followed his advice over who to invite.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The small group walked around the grounds, talking and laughing over everything and nothing. When Andromeda floundered in telling stories, Harry took her hand and stepped closer so that she was forced to look at him.

"Auntie," she had been adamant about the title given cousin James' position in the Black family tree. "They are your sisters. Whatever happened since, whatever happens next, they will always be your sisters."

The hug was almost Molly Weasley in power and this time Harry took it eagerly. Over her shoulder he saw the proud look from Remus and the firm nod of approval from Padfoot.

The day continued, now containing even more stories and laughter as Andromeda shared the embarrassing exploits of the three sisters. Remus threw out tale after tale of Sirius getting in trouble, a prank going wrong or a girl turning the tables on him, and Padfoot was forced to run off and chase an imaginary rabbit in order to escape the laughter.

If a grim could blush, he would have.

Lunch was wonderful. Harry's friends had returned from their exams and he got to watch Tonks stumble when she saw who he was sitting with. The laughter was only muted when Harry took Neville aside to explain who Andromeda was, who her sister was, and how the two were nothing alike.

"You know about the Dursleys," he told his best friend. "You don't count me as the same as them, do you?"

"Of course not!" Neville hissed in shock at Harry even thinking such a thing.

"It's the same, Nev. She works at St. Mungo's, probably even did a shift on the ward. Trust me, brother, she would have cured them years ago if she could have."

Maybe it was the fact Harry called him brother, or the earnest look in those Avada eyes, but either way Neville nodded and they returned to the table. Hermione was giving both a concerned and confused look, and Harry realised she was still in the dark about the boy's parents.

"You know, Auntie," Harry spoke as he sat, capturing the attention of everyone in the group. "It's a shame your daughter, Nymphadora, couldn't be here. I'd have liked to meet her. Nymphadora is her name, isn't it?"

"Oh yes," Andromeda grinned wickedly as she immediately caught on to Harry's plan. Remus coughed into his goblet of apple juice and Padfoot's head poked up to watch the fun. "Nymphadora recently graduated from the Auror Academy. If this mess was happening next year then I'm sure she'd had been here as one of the patrols."

"Hey, 'Mione," Harry's eyes glinted with humour and he had felt Tonks shudder and growl at every mention of her first name. "What does Nymphadora mean?"

"Nymphadora?" The bushy-haired girl frowned, looking up to the ceiling as her brain ran through its catalogue of information. "Well...Nymphs are spirits of nature from Greek mythology. They're usually pretty girls who are protectors of natural beauty spots. Dora translates as gift so Nymphadora would be Gift of the Nymphs."

"Awww!" Hannah sighed. "Calling your daughter a gift from the nymphs. That's adorable!"

As everyone - nearly everyone – was looking with surprise at the unusually girlish announcement from the bubbly Hannah, Tonks had leaned in close to Harry.

"Keep this up, hot stuff," she growled low. Both Remus and Padfoot's ears twitched as they eavesdropped. "And I'll cut off your nuts and feed them to you for dinner."

"So, Andromeda," Remus said loudly enough to declare a change of conversation much to Harry's relief. Padfoot had whined at her threat and disappeared beneath the table. Most likely to check his own equipment was still in place. "Neville here is a genius at Herbology."

"Really?" The Black sister asked with a twinkle, fully knowing the likely threat her daughter had used on Harry. "How are your potion skills, dear?"

"Much better now, Mrs Tonks," Neville beamed with pride, a thing that would have been unthinkable at the beginning of the school year. Far more shocking was his next piece of information. "After Harry's help I might even be able to scrape into a NEWT class."

"Tell me, Neville, have you thought about your future career?"

"Mrs Tonks?"

"I told you all, it's Andromeda," she repeated her earlier command to the confused boy. "And I've been interested in changing the way St. Mungo's deals with their potions. They get them from Apothecaries who get their ingredients from suppliers. I'm hoping to eventually find a place that can cultivate and brew, at least some of the potions, in order to quicken and cheapen the entire thing for the hospital."

Neville sat in silence, his mouth working like a fish with nothing coming out and she chuckled.

"It's something to think about. I don't want to put pressure on you, you've got years to go before something like that could be a possibility."

"No!" He shouted, going red at the startled looks to his shout. "I mean, no, I don't need to think. I want to do it."

Harry broke into a huge grin. The happiness at his brother putting his calling into action radiated off him and their friends. Hermione's trusty notepad and quill was out to jot down everything Andromeda explained he would need to do. From OWL And NEWT results, to what type of potions he would need to be a Master in and how large an operation the entire thing would need to be in order for it to not need his twenty-four hour commitment.

Harry was forced to corner Neville as lunch ended in order to bring his best friend back down from the clouds.

"Nev, I believe you can do this if it's what you really want to do," he explained and saw Neville's chest rise in self belief. "But that means you have to focus. Don't dream about the end when you have a test right in front of you."

"Right," Neville nodded fiercely, his eyes narrowed with determination.

"And mate, I'd like to be a partner in all this once we're out of Hogwarts."

Apparently it was Harry's days for hugs. Neville wrapped him in his strong arms and then pulled away with a beaming smile. A firm nod of agreement and then he was off running to not miss the next exam.

"That was a wonderful thing you did, Harry," Andromeda spoke up from behind.

"And you, auntie," he turned to the three and smirked. "And now its time for a magic trick!"

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The three had been overwhelmed by the magic of the Room of Requirement and Sirius, back in his human form, lamented over the lost pranks if the Marauders had known about it.

Well he did after losing control and laughing at Harry's joke and comeuppance from Tonks.

Andromeda immediately wanted to know how her daughter was doing and Harry finally understood what a doting, but not overbearing, mother was truly like. They spent the rest of the day talking, with Sirius becoming more nervous and afraid for Harry as time passed. He was eventually forced to revert to Padfoot in order to maintain a sense of control.

"It's a comfort form," Andromeda explained sadly as she stroked the large dog. "It was how he survived that horrid prison and its where his mind wants to go when things become too difficult."

Padfoot whined an apology that Harry ignored. He dropped beside the lovable grim and hugged the animal tightly in the hopes it would reach the man inside.

All too soon it was dinner time and then Harry and the other Champions headed towards the maze. Mad-eye Moody, the real Alastor Moody, met them at the front door.

It was quietly debated in the Auror department whether their mentor and most feared member was truly fit for work but he had refused to be kept out of the security detail. Not even Madam Bones was able to deny him and no one was brave enough to debate the issue when he was in the building.

"Right, you lot," he growled as they marched towards the mutilated Quidditch pitch. "We have Aurors stationed everywhere around the maze, some on brooms keeping a bird's eye view on the entire thing, and a man in the centre with the Goblet."

"A lot ov vork and manpower," Krum commented and Moody huffed.

"We're making sure it's as safe as possible for you crazy fools. Not that it'll be easy with the beasties in that damn maze. I'll be on the outside keeping my eye on everything."

He left them in a handover with Bagman and Professor McGonagall, the latter looking each of them over with a critical eye.

"There will be teachers on the outside of the maze as well as Aurors. If you get into any trouble, and wish to be rescued, send up red sparks and one of us will come get you. Do you understand?"

Four nods.

"In position then."

Each Champion had their own entrance to the maze and they took their places as the stands began to fill. Harry felt his palms become sweaty and his pulse speed up. For all the dread and worry about what was about to happen, the rush of testing himself was forcing him to grin manically. He felt something large and wild stretching inside in an attempt to break free.

"Soon," he promised himself as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Sirius had explained the feeling, finally, and Harry now knew it was his Animagus form trying to get his attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament is about to begin!" Bagman's Sonorus'd voice called out. "Let me remind you that Cedric Diggory, of Hogwarts School, is leading with eighty points. In second place is Victor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute, with 72 points. In third place is Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy, with 68 points and last, but by no means out of the race, is Harry Potter, of Hogwarts School, with 66 points!"

The crowd clapped wildly for the Champions. A few Slytherins jeered at Harry being in last place but everyone else was able to pretend it didn't happen. Four whistle blasts later and it was finally Harry's turn to enter the maze.

The moment Harry passed into the hedge, he cast a Point Me in order to find which direction he needed to go. A turn, twist and a small backtrack later had Harry come across a frightening sight.

Melania Black with glowing red eyes and the body of Sirius laying at her feet.

{{"There isss nothing that you can do...The Dark livessss inssside of you and will be free..."}}

The boggart nightmare hissed in Parseltongue. Something roared at the back of Harry's mind, demanding he launch himself at the corruption of his true self and he snarled.

"Lies! I am Balance and I will not fail!" Harry snapped, his wand slicing up mercilessly. "Riddikulus!"

The powerful blast hit the creature and there was a crack as Sirius' body turned into Padfoot and lathered the fake Melania in licks. A second crack and the boggart was gone completely.

"Bastard," Harry snarled in fury as he continued his way through the maze only to freeze as a scream filled the air. "Fleur!"

Harry ran. The Goblet and Tournament be damned, he would not allow the girl he had grown to like be hurt. He sped through the maze, his rage growing with every false turn and obstacle he was having to face down. He ran clear through a twinkling mist without thinking and didn't even stop as the world turned upside down, only for it to snap back to normal a step later.

There had been no red sparks that would indicate an injured Champion but that didn't comfort Harry. The scream had been far too painful a sound for any comforting thoughts.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Tonks was an emotional mess.

She had taken some of the potion that had been her Christmas present and had needed it. First there was the surprise of her mother being in the castle – oh the horror! - and now she had to sit and wait for Harry to deal with whatever was in the maze.

The group of friends were sitting in the stands together blanketed by the two families that meant the world to Harry. The Weasleys on one side, with a morose Ron at the very edge, and Remus and Andromeda on the other. Tonks had managed to sit beside her mother with Padfoot stretched across her feet. Sitting beside Remus was the polite Mr and Mrs Delacour.

"Harry's just mowed down a boggart," Remus told them, his werewolf hearing picking up the report Mad-Eye was giving a nervous Amelia. That he was also using an eavesdropping spell helped enormously.

"I hate those things," Tonks griped.

"So does he," Remus replied with a wince at the previous year. "It's why I taught him the Patronus last year, his boggart kept coming out as a Dementor."

Everyone who had experienced being close to one of those monsters shivered at their personal memories.

"Your daughter is doing fine," He told the Delacours much to their relief.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

"The boy's good," Moody's grizzled tone was not filled with appreciation and he was not wishing he could teach the boy privately.

"He's a Potter trained by Flitwick with Sirius Black as his godfather. Of course he is," Amelia replied somewhat smugly as though she knew what her mentor was trying not to think.

Moody huffed in annoyance. During his recovery she had come to him and asked about the Black arrest. To Moody's self-disgust he realised he had never bothered to find out about a trial. He was too busy going out and fighting other Death Eaters.

When Crouch had been arrested in aiding his son, the Crouch residence had been pulled apart and the Black case-file found in a hidden safe. Inside were details of guards being transferred to remote locations, demoted or even Obliviated to continue the cover up of a Lord's illegal imprisonment. So far only Amelia, Kingsley and he knew of the folder. The reason a pardon hadn't been issued immediately was because of the far too many involvements of Fudge.

Oh, how Moody hated politicians.

"What the bloody blazes!" He snarled as his magical eye picked up on the details of the task. "That Durmstrang ruffian just Crucio'd the French whippet."

"Damn it," Amelia snapped, her gut twisting in warning. Things were already going bad and they hadn't even been going for ten minutes.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Up in the stands Apolline and Gabrielle were crying while Gabriel Delacour raged as Remus passed on the news of their little flower.

Gabriel had misled Harry. There was an extra piece of magic in all of his personal portkeys that allowed him to feel the health of whoever he focused on. He had felt the pain as the spell ripped through his daughter's nerves. He was incredibly thankfully that the spell was only quick and he felt her slip into unconsciousness. He suspected it was through some stunning spell rather than because of the pain.

¬"I will make them pay, my darling daughter."¬ He spoke softly in French, dark eyes gleaming dangerously at the Bulgarian contingent.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Harry's frantic search was brought to a sudden stop by the ugliest thing he had ever seen. And he had had the misfortune to spot Vernon coming out of the shower.

A ten foot long beast that looked like a demented version of a scorpion. His mind froze at the sight until he mentally heard Hermione ranting about some creature Hagrid had them looking after in CoMC.

"Well you're an ugly fucker, ain't ya," he snarled, his top lip curling back to reveal teeth. "Reducto!"

The spell smashed into the hard shell of the Blast-Ended Skrewt and bounced off to smash into the bushes. Harry had time to think not another dragon just before a jet of fire burst out of the creature's end and he was forced to roll out of the way.

"Think, think, think," he demanded to himself as he was forced to avoid another jump of the beast. Out of the corner of his vision he saw that the underside of the creature was fleshy, missing the annoying armour of the rest of it. "Better a live Gryffindor than a dead Slytherin."

To match the switching of his favourite phrase, Harry stood tall and defiant. The skrewt's claws clicked in agitation and it shot itself at him once more. Rather than rolling to the side, Harry threw himself backwards so that the beast flew over his head. With his wand pointed straight at the unshielded part of the body, Harry pushed all his magic into the spell.

"Incendio!"

The blast of magical fire hit the creature's stomach dead on, the heat from below combining with whatever internal gasses allowed its self-propulsion. The skrewt exploded in a messy fireball with Harry only safe from the gore by still being on his back.

"I'm nuts," he laughed. The joy of defeating his creature and being awake at the end was something he had been unable to enjoy with the dragon. He liked it.

From somewhere nearby he heard Cedric's voice questioning someone only for the Hufflepuff to scream. Harry quickly scrambled to his feet and aimed his wand at the hedge between him and his friend.

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oOoOo

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"He's a natural!" Moody crowed after detailing the brief struggle with the skrewt. Amelia could only hope her mentor didn't enlist Hagrid in breeding more of the creatures for the newest Auror recruits.

"I'm going to string Karkaroff up by his testicles," the good mood vanished when Moody's eye focused in on the other Champions. "His pet dog just went after the Diggory boy."

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oOoOo

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"Reducto! Reducto!" Harry's magic fought against the magic of the hedge.

Eventually he was able to blast a big enough hole to get through, having to to do the spell twice more times in quick succession as the hedge tried growing back before he got through. Harry refused to quit and stumbled upon the sight of Krum standing over a whimpering Cedric.

"Crucio!" The Bulgarian said in a strangely monotone voice. Harry didn't think, instincts drove his arm up and the words out before he even fully realised what the spell was.

Harry's overpowered Stupefy sent Krum spinning over the prone Cedric to land with a loud crunch. Something was broken. Harry didn't care, he was too busy helping Cedric to his feet.

"Are you alright?" He demanded, concern pushing back the aggression that had been driving him. Cedric's hands were shaking but the boy nodded.

"Yeah...yeah...I can keep going," Cedric panted, unable to take his eyes off the unconscious boy while Harry checked on Fleur's unconscious form. "I can't believe he did that...I think he did it to Fleur too."

Harry wanted to hurt Krum more over that idea but managed to reign in his need for revenge. There was something strange about the way Krum had attacked Cedric, something that reminded Harry of their DADA classes.

"You carrying on?" He asked after sending up some red sparks for Fleur. At his friend's nod, Harry gave a lopsided grin. "Hogwarts for the win, Ced."

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oOoOo

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It was Susan who broke first and was forced to stay still when she heard of Krum's attack on Cedric. It took a combination of Hannah and Daphne to keep the irate girl still long enough for Remus to pass on Moody's description of how Harry had saved her boyfriend from more torture. When she heard he was carrying on, the males in earshot crossed their legs at her threat if Cedric got himself hurt any more.

Tonks eyed the stiff Neville whose fingers were curling into fists at each mention of the dreaded curse. A quick glance at her mother told Tonks that there would be Calming Droughts in the Longbottom boy's near future.

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oOoOo

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Harry left the Hufflepuff and moved on. He knew if he stayed he would have tried talking Cedric out of the competition. Not because he wanted to win but in concern over the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. He would make damn sure Madam Pomfrey and Andromeda took a look at the brave idiot.

"He could have been a Gryffindor," he smirked, shaking his head at the idea of talking Professor Sprout into parting with her beloved Hufflepuff.

Harry's next challenge came in the form of a sphinx. The over-sized lion body ended with a female head and she was simply sitting as though she could have waited forever for his arrival.

"You are near your goal," her growling voice said as he carefully approached. "The quickest way is through me."

"And will you allow me to pass?" Harry asked, suspecting it wouldn't be easy.

The sphinx looked deep into Harry's eyes and he felt the animal inside him react to her stare. He stumbled at the force of it shifting in his mind and gasped. "What the hell?"

"It is almost free," came the cryptic reply. "I had not known one of you would be here."

"My Animagus..." He groaned from his position of kneeling down. The animal seemed determined to get to the sphinx and Harry was having to use all his Occlumency training in order to think.

"My closeness disturbs it for it is young," she explained in her rumbling voice. "You may pass by, little cub, and know you are always welcome in my homeland."

Harry nodded his head in thanks and stumbled past her, staggering until he had made a few turns before dropping to his knees. He clawed at the ground in frustration and forced his animal back through sheer brute will.

"I'm going to kill Sirius for suggesting I learn this," he grumbled as he staggered to his feet to continue.

Harry found the Tri-Wizard Cup, the bloody Goblet of Fire, and for a brief moment felt like blasting it into pieces for its role in him being entered into the Tournament. Then something caught his attention and he swore when he saw Cedric facing off against one of Hagrid's Acromantula friends.

"It's second year all over again," he groaned, looking to the heavens as though to ask why him. "Stupefy!"

The spell slammed into the beast only for it to shake itself down and turn to face Harry.

"You owe me for this, Ced," Harry shouted at the recovering boy as he back-peddled from the approaching spider. Cedric flashed him a weak smile and lifted his wand. Harry matched and together their stunners caused the spider to tumble onto a hedge. Their combined magic overloading its nervous system.

The two boys came together at the entrance to the large square of space that housed the Cup. It sat on a stone plinth waiting for one of them to take it and they looked between it and each other.

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oOoOo

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"Should have roasted the spider," Moody huffed with disappointment at the boys non-lethal way of handling the creature. "Like they should have done with the Krum boy."

Amelia Bones smiled as her eyes danced around the Hogwarts grounds. She needed to be on high alert and was glad that Cedric was able to continue. She had seen Susan in the stands temporally lose her mind only for Remus to tell her something that calmed her niece down.

That Remus' remarks came remarkably quickly after Mad-Eye's report was neither here nor there for the canny witch.

Off to one side, a still unconscious Krum was being guarded by two Aurors while Madam Pomfrey worked on the weak Fleur. Lady Delacour was beside Pomfrey to aid in the Veela's unique physiology while a frantic Gabrielle was being held back by her father.

"Something smells bad, Alastor. Real bad."

"Aye, lass," The gruff Auror agreed as he watched the two Hogwarts students standing together. He saw something suspicious near the boys and swore.

"Dawlish is acting strange," he suddenly warned, only to recognise the posture of the man his eye said was Dawlish. "Bloody Merlin's balls, Amelia, it's Crouch! Crouch is in there!"

Amelia shouted out the warning to her Aurors and the world went crazy.

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oOoOo

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"You know," Harry grinned, still breathing heavily from his struggles with his Animagus. "Any other time I'd be offering to let you take the win. But I promised the prize money to a noble cause."

"A thousand gallons?" Cedric looked as though Harry had given away a priceless artefact. "To what? St. Mungo's?"

"Nope," Harry chuckled with a huge grin. "To making the world laugh."

"The twins' shop?" Cedric burst into laughter, made all the stronger by Harry's grinning nod. Susan had told her boyfriend about Harry's decision to aid the chuckle brothers but he hadn't put two-and-two together.

"So what do you want to do?" He asked once he had gained control of his giggles.

"Well we're both exhausted."

"Yep."

"We're both Seekers."

"Yeah..."

"And there's something shiny right in front of us that'll win this thing for either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff."

"And the last time I beat you was because of those horrible Dementors."

The boys shared a childish grin and yelled the answer together.

"RACE!"

Harry's physical fitness was weakened by the struggles of the maze while Cedric was still suffering from the Crucios from Krum. The longer legs of the Hufflepuff were counted by the extra strength in the Gryffindor's strides so that they ended up equally matched in their dash towards the Cup.

Harry hadn't stopped being aware of his surroundings and caught movement from the shadows. The Auror who Moody had said was waiting for them raised his wand, pointing it at Cedric. Harry's heart skipped as he recognised the mad gleam in the man's eyes as that he had seen in the Polyjuiced Moody.

The fake Auror's wand glowed Killing green as they skidded to a halt merely feet from the Cup.

"My master has no need of a spare," Crouch Junior sneered. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry was moving before the Death Eater had cast the most feared curse in Wizarding Britain. He copied his tactic from the second task and dived backwards, deliberately falling behind Cedric so he could hit his friend with a low powered banishing charm.

Harry had suspected that there would be some type of light show once someone picked up the Cup, maybe even have the hedge vanish to show the winner to the waiting crowd. Either would have worked to bring help. What Harry hadn't expected was for Cedric and the Cup to vanish as they made contact.

The green and deadly piece of magic flew past where the Hufflepuff had stood. For a split second Harry imagined being forced to watch his friend die in front of him and being unable to do anything.

"No matter," Crouch Junior snarled, the stamp of his foot clearly showing how much it did matter to the insane man. "The master will have what he wants. Glory to the Dark Lord!"

At the special command, the portkey that had been slipped into Harry's pocket by an Imperiused Bagman activated. Barty Junior's own portkey activated at the same time and the two vanished into the aether.

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oOoOo


	18. Riddle Returns, Death of Harry Potter

**Well my illness kicked my arse and the computer collapsed in agony. I'm feeling better and using my backup laptop to bring you more of this story. Once again, a big thank you to all those who fav/follow and especially review. To the guest who asked if I'm Buddhist, I take my personal beliefs from different areas.**

 **Blitzstrahl - That's a great way of looking at Metamorphmagi. I can't remember if it's mentioned in the books or merely fanfic but it's often considered a metamorph having a "base" gender which is the one that allows them to procreate. Yet even with this limitation, I do think that almost all metamorphs to Tonks' level would be gender fluid or at the very least sexually fluid.**

 **rijnhartbart - I never really considered the ending to the last chapter a cliff hanger. There _is_ a big one coming up but I promise I'll post the follow on chapter quickly when that rolls around.**

 **Digitize27 - Thanks for the italics catch and the Twins Owls mention. I edited both as soon as I saw your review. As for Fudge, consider it creative licensing.**

 **SuperVegitoFAN - The quick time skip was something I debated over but Harry was very much on a personal schedule away from his friends. I really didn't see the point in having an entire chapter of tiny conversations between everyone or his training. This year is solely focused on Harry and very little about being with others and this will be the only story where such a large time jump happens.**

 **shadowkat87 - I'll answer your question with a question. Why would Harry tell everyone the secret?**

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Riddle Returns and the Death of Harry Potter

24th June, 1995 – Little Hangleton Cemetery

The portkey caused Harry to land painfully on the hard ground. The impact took his breath away but his instincts still had him moving. Any exhaustion built up by the third task was burned away by fury and his magic thrummed beneath his skin. He spun to this feet and slipped naturally into his duelling stance, the insane Crouch cackled with glee at the challenge and the two infamous sons clashed.

For all of Barty Crouch Junior's time out of Azkaban, he had not taken care of himself and had not been forced into a magical duel since his time as a Death Eater. He might well have possessed the insanity of Bellatrix Lestrange but he was sorely lacking in matching her talent.

Harry was tired and sore. His iron control worn away by the many stresses, physical and mental, of the long day. Yet he had a larger magical core, one far more used to being pushed to its limits, and had skills developed by a legendary duellist. If Harry was at his peak fitness, or if Crouch was actually a fighter rather than a follower with a limited knowledge of Dark curses, the fight would have ended differently.

As it was, the night was alive with magic from spells clashing against Protego shields, into headstones, or even into the ground as the two enemies fought. One man did so for his Master while the boy did so to honour the parents his brother in all but blood had never had a chance to know. Neither noticed a small man wrapped in a cloak approaching, nor the dangerous bundle he held.

The beast inside Harry that had been pushing him all evening demanded blood and Harry gave into the need. He called on the knowledge his nights with Sirius had given him, firing off two spells from the hidden depths of the Black Library.

"Pertundere! Venenumoti Pertundere!"

The piercing spell and its poisoned variety, were powered by intent and magic. A skilled caster could make the spell create a careful wound of a scalpel while power and emotion could cause it to deal the damage of a wildly swung battle axe. The first spell hit Crouch's left knee and drilled a hole clear through the joint, the crazed man's screams paling to what followed when the second, deadlier, spell completely destroyed his right shoulder.

The wand dropped as the joint experienced what it felt like to be run through with a broadsword. Harry had a heartbeat to grin evilly at his prey before darkness took him as the Traitor stunned him from behind.

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oOoOo

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Hogwarts

Cedric's ears were assaulted by the roar of triumph from the Hogwarts students from the moment he found himself on the championship podium. The Hufflepuffs being the nosiest by a country mile.

"Harry, you idiot!" He cried out fear and outrage at the stupidity of his friend, his head swivelled back and forth to find someone of authority. "He's after Harry!"

"Mister Diggory," Madam Bones approached the frantic Hufflepuff at a run, her shout barely heard over the cheers. Cedric turned when he heard her and stumbled as the events of the task finally took their toll. He was only saved from hitting the ground by the shocked Minister Fudge. The Hufflepuff's eyes weren't fully tracking and the effects of the Unforgivable were building beyond what the brave boy could ignore. Amelia took him from the Minister and was forced to call for his attention a second time. "Mister Diggory! I need to know what happened."

The crowd had began to realise something was amiss as Cedric failed to celebrate. The Kingsley led Aurors, were scuttling like ants over the maze in order to get to the centre and were blasting their way through hedge and obstacles. They had no way of knowing that it was already too late.

Cedric began his tale. Any chance the shocked Fudge had of keeping a lid on what was happening failed as most of the ground listened to how Harry had saved his fellow student at the cost to his own safety. Dumbledore had been making his way over to the weakened boy and spoke immediately upon the short tale being over.

"Amelia, we must get young Mister Diggory some help."

She agreed and let Andromeda lead Cedric away. It was only then that she noticed Harry's group of friends, including her niece, had left the stands approaching. Remus Lupin was looking frantic and the large dog growled angrily towards Dumbledore.

"Moody says they vanished from his eye the same way Mister Diggory did," She pointedly told the Headmaster with a glare. "Please tell me the portkey ward was not turned off for this thing."

"Ah...I'm afraid I can't," Dumbledore replied with real regret. "While it's possible to have turned the Cup into one without the ward being taken down, I thought it best to let some of the visitors have another way to leave once the task had been completed."

"And how many people knew this?" She asked the dreaded question.

"My staff..." Dumbledore paused and then sighed, for the first time truly looking his age. "I told them September."

"When Crouch was playing Moody. Wonderful," Amelia rolled her non-manacled eye. She was about to futilely argue with the worried group surrounding her when Moody stalked to her side, glaring at the children as he passed them. Amelia knew there was no way they would allow themselves to be kept out of the news and nodded to her mentor to speak.

"Dawlish is dead. We found him stuffed in a broom-closet under a weak notice-me-not charm. My guess, the bastard was Polyjuiced most of the day."

"Madam Bones, I must speak with you, s'il vous plait." Gabriel Delacour announced in a tense voice. The man looked stressed and not only over what had happened to his daughter. "And Monsieur Lupin as well."

Amelia frowned at the unusual request but since there was nothing she could actually do in that minute, led the two men aware from the crowd. She noticed Remus' extremely tight grip on the black dog at his side and her suspicions over its true identity grew. Albus watched them with a frown, wishing he could force his way into the talk. But he held himself back. In Sirius' agitated state there would be no guessing what the Animagus would do.

"Sir, I promise you an investigation will be conducted about your daughter's attack," she started only to be waved into silence.

"Non, that is not the cause of this talk. What I am about to tell you must remain only between us."

"Monsieur Delacour, if you know anything about Scion Potter's disappearance you must tell me," Amelia demanded, irate at the idea of politics keeping the young man from safety.

"It is not that," Gabriel promised, looking as tired as Amelia felt. "It is a family secret but you must know what I have learnt."

Amelia groaned and ground her teeth together. "Fine, but if I find out you could have done something to help Scion Potter, I'll bring you down and I don't care how politically strong you are."

"I would hope so, Madame," he gave a brief, charming smile that did nothing to appease the powerful woman. "As you may be aware, House Delacour and House Potter became allies over young Harry bringing my petite Gabrielle up from the Lake. What is not known is the ring I gave him acts as both a powerful portkey to my location as well as monitoring his health."

"Are you saying Harry could come back any time he wanted?" Remus interrupted in disbelief, almost ready to start looking around for his missing nephew.

"Non, I am saying the exact opposite. I felt his magic spike not long after he vanished and then the lull of unconsciousness," Gabriel looked away from the intense gaze of the werewolf and sighed sadly. "He is awake now but that he has not returned means he is unable to activate the portkey."

"A prisoner," Remus groaned, the dog growled ferociously at his side.

"Or there are anti-portkey wards," Amelia added hopefully. A hope that was immediately dashed.

"Which would not stop my ring from bringing him to safety."

"And now I know why you don't want that shared," she snorted.

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oOoOo

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Harry woke to find himself tied to a headstone. A cloaked man was lowering a wand, obviously the one who had stunned and rennervated him, and Harry groggily noticed that the hand was missing a finger.

"You!" He snarled, trying to launch himself at Wormtail only for the ropes to do their work. "You self serving sewer rat. I should fucking feed you to Crookshanks for the all that you're worth. When I pull you in front of the Wizengamot, I'm going to ask if I can shove your worthless hide right down the Dementor's wrinkled gob!"

A low chuckle came from a bundle of cloth laying on the ground. The sound cut off Harry's rant and he eyed it with rising dread.

"It seems our guest is not happy with you, Wormtail."

The voice chilled Harry to the bones. He remembered that voice from his dream. In a desperate attempt to not think about the horror he had found himself in, Harry looked around the graveyard for a chance at escaping and only then realised that a moaning Crouch was only yards away.

The Polyjuice had worn off which meant Harry had to recognise the scrawny man by the two wounds. The knee had been bandaged but the shoulder looked a mess, and the insane fugitive was already sweating from the poison coursing through his body. Harry couldn't help but grin, knowing that only someone with Black blood could heal the poison before it destroyed its host.

A low hiss had Harry look down to see a large snake circling around the base of the headstone he was tied to. Hopefully it's not another bloody basilisk! He thought, trying desperately to fight against the raging anger that threatened to consumed his mind.

Harry watched in horror as the useless Wormtail pulled a large cauldron to the bottom of the grave that the headstone belonged to. A shot of fire at its base and the liquid within was bubbling and sparking as its sick magic activated.

"It is ready, Master," the man called Wormtail whimpered.

"Now..." The horrid voice commanded and what Harry saw brought bile to the back of his throat.

The Traitor released a twisted, nightmarish version of a child from the bundle. It was hairless and its skin had a scale-like quality. It looked out onto the world with gleaming red, snake-like eyes that were far older and monstrous than any child's should be.

"That's your Master?" Harry cried out as his mouth ran away from him once more. "You really have sunk to the sewers, you traitorous bastard! I hope Prongs finds you in the afterlife and tramples you to dust for all eternity."

Wormtail flinched, though whether it was in holding the deformed creature or the mention of his long betrayed friend he would never say. Harry's out of control vulgar diatribe continued as Wormtail dropped the homunculus into the cauldron.

"Yeah, that's right, drown the bastard at birth. Come on Wormy, let met go and I might even promise not to let Sirius get a hold of you."

"Bone of the father," Wormtail forcefully spoke in the hopes of drowning out the child of his once best friend. That the boy's temper appeared to be identical to his mother just made it all that more difficult. "Unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

The grave at Harry's feet broke open and a crackled and brittle bone floated up through the earth to drop softly into the cauldron. The liquid turned a nasty looking blue. Harry was too shocked to say anything, only to be stunned even more at what happened next.

"Flesh...of the servant..." Wormtail whimpered, pulling a thin, shiny dagger from within his cloak, and holding his hand over the bubbling concoction. "You will...you will revive your master."

Harry's rampage at Pettigrew's stupidity and parentage took on a whole new level when the former Marauder sliced off his own hand to have it plop into the cauldron. The small man was rolling on the ground in agony and barely heard the verbal onslaught.

"What the hell did the others see in you, you fucking twerp?" Harry roared, continuing to pull at the ropes in the hope that Wormtail's stupidity had been active when he tied them. His battered and bruised body running on furious instinct rather than any real command. "How could anyone be so bloody stupid as you?"

The mutilated man scrambled to his feet and frantically stumbled over to Harry. Another person might have been fuelled into action by Harry's words but each verbal assault hit at Peter Pettigrew's insecurities. The long blade shook as it closed in on Harry's exposed right arm.

"You want my blood?" Harry snarled, his words distorted by hisses and growls as man and Animagus beast forcibly merged in the terrifying moment. "Take it you piece of shit and I hope the slimy fuck chokes on it!"

"Blood of the enemy...forcibly taken...you...will...resurrect your foe..."

"And I'll blast him back into Hades where he bloody well belongs!"

Wormtail managed to stagger over to the cauldron and drip the collected blood into the mixture before injuries and emotional pain overtook him. The Traitor dropped in agony and tears to the hard ground and didn't see that the liquid had turned a milky white.

For a few, mostly silent, moments nothing happened. The pause lasted long enough for Harry to begin hoping and then the cauldron's contents exploded in a thick body of steam. He clenched his eyes shut as the moisture floated over him and heard an all too familiar voice.

"Robe me," the voice from his nightmares demanded. Wormtail struggled to his feet and draped the long robes over the naked body that had risen from the cauldron.

The mist cleared and Harry looked upon the monster that had killed his parents. A thin, almost emancipated body that was whiter than bone with thin, snake-like slits for a nose and wide, scarlet eyes.

Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, Tom Riddle the Half-blooded bastard behind the pain in Harry's life, looked over his new form with a slight frown. Large, skinny fingers flexed and straightened as he tested his strength. They reached into the robes to withdraw a familiar looking wand that had Harry looking to the floor where its brother, his own holly wand, lay.

Suddenly Wormtail was thrown against a nearby headstone and Lord Voldemort nodded contently as the familiar feeling of power coursed through him. The monster finally turned his full attention to Harry and the two enemies stared at each other. Harry said the only thing he could in the situation he found himself in.

"I see you're still as butt-ugly as you were fourteen years ago."

"CRUCIO!" The most feared Dark Wizard of the modern time screamed. Harry's body contracted and contorted as it burned from the inside, nerves doing their utmost to burst apart with pain. Somewhere Harry was dimly aware of Crouch's sickly giggles.

The pain ended and Harry sagged against the ropes, struggling to breathe. His heart was racing harder than it ever hand and he could taste blood building in his mouth. A heavy spit saw something that had once been part of his cheek splat against Tom Riddle Senior's grave. The agony had been indescribable yet..yet what he had felt when he had taken the potion to release Melania had been worse. Harry held that close to his heart even as his body continued to shudder and jerk from the dreaded curse.

"My Lord..." Wormtail whimpered, finally able to pull himself upright. "My Lord...you promised."

"Yes, yes I did," Riddle answered as though he regretted doing so. "Hold out your arm, Wormtail."

"Oh, Master, thank...thank you..."

"Your other arm, Wormtail."

Harry's chuckle was as dark as Riddle's when Wormtail whined in distress. Serves the Traitor right. He thought, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the painful cobwebs.

Lord Voldemort took rough hold of Wormtail's left arm and pulled the sleeve back to reveal a faded red version of the Dark Mark.

"It is back," Riddle hissed. "They will have been seen and now we shall know."

The madman pressed his wand to the Mark and the Traitor cried out in pain once more as it darkened beneath its maker's touch. Riddle only eased up once it looked exactly like what Harry had seen at the World Cup.

"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel my touch?" Riddle mused, staring up into the sky. "How many will be foolish to stay away?"

The monster began to pace, impatient for his audience, and eventually turned to Harry.

"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father," the once human wizard hissed. "A Muggle and a fool, very much like your mother, who in the end had his uses..."

"She still beat your arse," Harry coughed, spitting out more blood so that it wouldn't choke him. There was no way he would stay silent if Riddle thought to mock the memory of Lily Evans.

"So she did..." Riddle admitted, turning to look at the house upon the hill. "And up there was were he lived while my mother, a witch, grew up in the village. But enough of the past. My true family returns to me."

The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks as Death Eaters Apparated in. Harry felt like an idiot as he finally remembered his ring and carefully, so not to attract attention, used his thumb to turn it inwards. All he needed to do was press it and say the activation word and the nightmare would be over. Yet something held him back. His gaze jumped between the injured Crouch and Wormtail and thoughts of returning with one or both filled his head.

Live Slytherin. Dead Gryffindor. He mentally chanted, Occlumency training pushing away the aggressive thoughts.

The Death Eaters crowded closer, chanting Master as they did so. Yet no matter how near their Lord they go, they continued to leave gaps in their circle. Harry wondered if that was the spaces for those who couldn't, or wouldn't, answer the call.

"Welcome, my followers," Riddle spoke and they eagerly listened. "Thirteen years since we last met and you answer my call as if it were only yesterday. Are we all still united under the Dark Mark then?

"I see all of you, whole and healthy, and I ask myself...why did this band of wizards never come to to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

The crass and vocal Harry that had invited the Crucio Curse earlier so desperately wanted to shout out an answer. Luckily his more centred self was able to contain the urge.

"Master!" One of the robed idiots shouted as he threw himself at Riddle's mercy. "Forgive me! Forgive us!

Voldemort laughed and merely raised his wand. "Crucio!"

Idiot. Harry thought as the man, obvious by the voice only, screamed and wiggled on the ground. He spat more blood out onto the grave of Riddle's father and couldn't help feel amusement at the symbolism.

"Rise, Avery," Riddle commanded once he lifted the curse. "You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. It has been thirteen long years and so I want thirteen long years of repayment before I forgive you."

Complete bloody Idiots. Harry amended when some of the Death Eaters actually sighed with relief.

"You returned to me, Wormtail, and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers."

A swish of the dreaded wand had a sliver of liquid moonlight float through the air and attach itself to the stump of the Traitor's arm. The blood stopped flowing and the magic shaped itself into a replica of a human hand. Perhaps it was from meeting a Sphinx earlier in the night but Harry was reminded of the warning about accepting gifts. Riddle approached a man to the Traitor's right and Harry growled when he heard the man's identity.

"Lucius, my slippery friend," Voldemort whispered. "I am told you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face..."

Harry couldn't take it. His blood, Black and Potter, demanded retribution for the man's abandonment of the sacred bond between their Families.

"Blondie, you dumb bastard!" He snarled, interrupting the great Dark Lord to the shock of all. "I warned you what would happen if you didn't behave. I'm going to bury you myself and piss on your fucking grave and maybe even get your wife to do a jig with me!"

The other Death Eaters laughed at the boy's dressing down of Lucius and it was that, as much as the verbal tirade itself, that had Lord Malfoy's wand pulled free of its cane-sheath before Voldemort's hand stayed the curse.

"Allow me. He is, after all, my guest tonight."

The next Crucio had Harry screaming, the pain beating even what he had experienced before. It seemed to never end and Harry was horse, his throat badly damaged, by the time Voldemort finally lifted the spell. In that moment Harry felt he understood why Neville's parents had turned out the way they did.

"Quiet, Harry Potter. Your betters are speaking."

What betters? Was his last coherent thought as Harry flittered in and out of focus over the next few minutes. He heard the name Nott and forced himself to remember he needed to warn his Slytherin friends that things had become much more dangerous for them. His focus returned at a time when Riddle was talking about that life changing night.

"His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice...This is very old magic that I should not have foolishly overlooked. But no matter, I can touch him now."

The cold tip of a long finger pushed painfully into where the famous scar marked his forehead and Harry hissed at the pressure.

"Why?" He managed to croak.

"Why, Harry Potter? Why what?" Voldemort asked, amusement colouring the cold voice.

"Why me? Why come for me? You told her you were there for me, why?"

Eyebrowless eyes widened in surprise. "You remember that night? Surprising."

"He asks why I went after him," Riddle pulled away from Harry in a elaborate swish of his cloak to talk at the watching crowd. "And it is a good question. Why did I listen to the ramblings of an idiot, passed on to me by a faithful servant? The idea of a prophecy bringing my downfall because of a small boy is laughable."

And there it is. Harry closed his eyes and swallowed hard, not caring about the blood he felt coating his throat. There really is a bloody prophecy.

"How foolish it was to suppose this boy could ever have been stronger than me," Riddle sneered, looking at each of his Death Eaters in turn as though daring them to argue the point. "But I want no mistake in anyone's mind now. There will be no Harry Potter escaping me by a lucky chance, no Dumbledore to aid him or a mother to die for him. I will kill him here and now in front of you all. He will have a chance to fight, and he will die, and you will be left with no doubt which of us is the stronger. Untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand."

The Traitor release Harry with the same knife that had hurt them both, and Harry collapsed to his knees atop the grave. His body struggled against the agony of the multiple Cruciatus and he was only able to raise his head by the time Wormtail pushed his wand into his shaking hand.

"You have been taught to duel, Harry Potter?" Voldemort airily asked as though asking what Harry thought of the weather.

The Boy-Who-Lived, son of James and Lily, daughter of Sirius and Lily, struggled to pull himself to his feet, locking muscles and joints in place to keep himself from falling. The laughter from the Death Eaters aided his determination not to fall as the years of Vernon's physical abuse came to his aid. In that moment, Harry stared at the monster before him, seeing both evil men in his life in his mind, and gave a defiant glare.

"We bow. We count. You lose." Harry said with more bravado than he felt. The act only slightly ruined by being forced to spit out another mouthful of blood.

"Bow to death, Harry." Voldemort snarled, his wand swishing until it was pointed at Harry's heart.

Harry did so. Voldemort copied with a flourish. Both made sure to eye the other. Harry's finger was pressed hard against his palm and he only needed a moment to do what was needed in order to leave.

The problem with routines and learned instincts is that they, by their very definition, will happen instinctively. Harry had no intention of duelling Voldemort and was going to activate his portkey the moment they rose from their bench positions. Yet he had spent months practising with Flitwick, honing the instincts that were needed to survive the early flurry involved in a duel. In that moment in the cemetery with Tom Riddle, Harry Potter had repeated a routine he had done countless times in the Room of Requirement; Bow, eyes on the shoulder to watch for an early attack, wand loosely held to perform any spell needed. When Harry saw the twitch to signal an attack, his instincts reacted before conscious thought could stop them and he casting.

Lord Voldemort had been in an unknown number of duels during his reign of terror. Remove the rituals performed to increase his power and strength and Riddle would still have bested almost everyone who ever came against his wand. When he saw the experienced bow of Harry Potter and the boy's calculating look at his wand arm, a shiver of what he refused to recognise as fear slid through his mind. His body, for all its wonders, seemed weaker than it should have been, and now his greatest enemy actually knew how to fight? Any plans to toy with the boy flew out the proverbial window and he decided to end the duel immediately.

It was no surprise that what resulted was two people reacting on instinct.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

The jets of magic – one red, the other green – slammed together and suddenly each brother wand was vibrating wildly in their owner's hands. Harry felt as though he had plugged himself into a live socket as the energy threatened to rip his wand out of his grasp. He frantically grasped his holly stick with both hands and all too quickly realised he couldn't break the connection.

The two enemies stared in shock at each other other over the powerful light show, both realising at the same second that the other had nothing to do with what was happening. The light turned golden and they were suddenly rising off the ground, spinning slowly as they were moved by Magic itself to an area untouched by death.

The golden beam grew branches, powerful threads of light reaching up and over the two combatants until they were encased in a golden webbed dome. The Death Eaters, including the barely standing Crouch, banged fruitlessly against the pure magical construct.

"Do nothing!" Riddle screamed and only the foolish would admit the command was laced in fear. "Do nothing unless I tell you!"

The threads vibrated on their own and produced a surprising sound. A familiar sound to Harry. The power of the phoenix song filled the cemetery and stunned them all. Harry felt the music reach into him and connect to a piece deep inside and he couldn't help but laugh, his energy returning as the wondrous song continued. The phoenix tears in his blood were vibrating in joy at what he was hearing.

Suddenly his wand began to shake more violently as the beam between the wands changed. A pulse built up in the centre where the two spells connected and Harry felt his wand weakening as the pulse drew nearer.

Somehow Harry felt the sadness of his wand. The realisation that it could not follow its owner's changes any longer was a note of loss and regret within the phoenix's song.

"No," Harry growled in refusal, shaking his head furiously as he spoke directly to his holly wand. "You will always be my first. You will always be special to me."

He found himself feeding the wand his memories of their time together; the moment in Ollivander's when they first connected, the very first time they cast a spell correctly in class. Memories of joy and heartache, the struggles of performing the Patronus only for them to drive away the horde that threatened Sirius' soul. Even the current year had its moments that were shared.

As the wand took each memory, it gave more to the magical connection. The pulse was pushed back towards its brother as the holly stick gave of itself to save its owner. It gave one last powerful push and the pulse was driven violently into its yew brother.

A white mist steamed from the tip of Voldemort's wand and screams filled the night air, merging with the now sad phoenix song. The two enemies watched in equal shock as ghosts began to pull themselves out of the wand's tip.

First an old man with a walking stick, the man from Harry's dream so many months ago. "He killed me, he did. You fight him boy, you make sure he doesn't win."

The echo of Bertha Jorkins freed herself from her murderer.

"Don't let go, Harry!" She cried, her voice distant as though from fair away. "Don't do it. You've got him."

The Death Eaters were going insane on the outside of the dome, frantic in their desire to help their Lord. Harry saw the Traitor's eyes widen only for the rat to change form and vanish into the night. The reason was obvious when Harry looked back to Riddle's wand and saw the thick mane of red hair that was being pushed free. He understood now. He knew who was coming next.

The young Lily Potter, as beautiful as she was in his memories, smiled at Harry.

"Your father's coming," she told him with tears in her ghostly eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Harry, so proud."

James Potter freed himself and stood beside his wife, looking very much like an older Harry. His smile was full of love and acceptance.

"You have always been mine," he softly told his son. "But you are as much Padfoot's too. You understand, Prongslet? You can go be his now."

Harry nodded, tears flowing, and inside Melania cried with him.

"When the connection breaks, we'll only be able to stay for a moment," his mum explained with iron determination. "Use it to get away. Use the ring, get to safety."

Harry nodded again. His face had scrunched up in struggle to keep the wand in place. He could feel it weakening, the connection forged over their four years breaking as it gave itself to the magic holding the two combatants together. Harry knew what he had to do, he only hoped it would work.

Harry pulled the wand away from Riddle's with a roar and immediately aimed it at Crouch Junior. "Accio Crouch!"

The dome snapped off and Crouch Junior was pulled off his feet by the spell before any of the Death Eaters could react. The ghosts surrounded Voldemort pressed tight around their killer and Harry let loose with one more spell before the disabled Death Eater crashed into him.

"Reducto!"

He threw everything into the spell. He never saw the way it flew through the fading ghosts, nor did he hear the roar of pain as it ripped through Voldemort's body. Harry didn't know any of this because Crouch Junior slammed into him the second after the spell left his overheating wand and he activated the portkey.

The tug was vicious as it pulled them into the aether. The two felt as though they were being ripped apart as the magic of the ring met the power of the anti-portkey ward surrounding the cemetery. The ward surrendered to the power of the ring and sent Harry and Crouch Junior spinning their way towards its destination.

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oOoOo

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The Hogwarts grounds were still chaotic. People refused to leave, as much a desire to find out what was happening as the Aurors kept them for questioning. Harry's friends had been taken to the Great Hall while Gabriel Delacour kept his focus on the connection between his family ring and Harry's. Krum and Cedric were in the Hospital Wing once it was found the Bulgarian had been Imperiused during the task. Madam Pomfrey had not been impressed when Fleur refused to stay once she heard about Harry being taken. All the matron could do was demand the French girl to return if she felt ill.

Sudden pain racked Gabriel's body and it was only Fleur catching him that kept her father from crashing to the stone floor.

"Papa?"

Her cries draw the attention of Amelia who stormed over, and the eyes of worried teens. "Sir?"

Apolline's wand moved quickly over her husband and she frowned with concern at what her scans were telling her.

"Mild Cruciatus, husband?" Her soft voice did nothing to hide the seriousness of the news. "How?"

"Harry..."

"Monsieur Delacour, you didn't tell me you feel what he feels," Amelia snapped, ready to demand him stop monitoring the lost Scion. His reply sent her blood running cold.

"I do not, Madam," he denied with equal strength. "The power of the curse overrode the ring's safeguards."

"Mon Dieu. Papa, please," Fleur begged only for the plea to be cut off by a fierce glare.

"He did not abandon Gabrielle, I will not abandon him."

Amelia frowned in concern. It would take an extremely powerful wizard or witch to cast a curse as powerful as was being described and there weren't many of those running around with a mad-on against Scion Potter.

The sound of heels clicking on stone had the adults turning towards the door where a dishevelled Narcissa was entering at a brisk pace. Andromeda stood from her place with the children and marched over in order to hear her sister's news.

"Madam Bones," Lady Malfoy said in a clipped, barely restrained tone. "I come with worrying news."

"What is it, Lady Malfoy?" Amelia sighed with evident exhaustion. She did not need any more mishaps happening.

"My husband has left Hogwarts in a rush," Narcissa explained. Dumbledore listened, having followed Andromeda, and blanched at what he heard. "Before he did so, he grasped his left arm in pain. It is a sign I was familiar with fourteen years ago."

Everyone in the Great Hall froze as they each came to the same conclusion. The silence was broken when Gabriel suddenly cried out and fell onto the nearby table, his body shaking violently.

"Papa!" This time it was little Gabrielle who screamed from her spot next to the French speaking Hermione. The little blonde made to rush over, only to be stopped as the Gryffindor girl spoke quickly in her ear.

"Gabriel, you must break the link," Dumbledore commanded as Andromeda and Apolline passed their wands over his shuddering body. "If you don't, it could kill you."

"I...will not...abandon him..." The stubborn Head of the Delacour family growled through clenched teeth even as the tears of his daughters broke his heart.

"Is there no way to use the connection to take us to him?" Amelia demanded, feeling completely helpless.

"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore answered for the French family. He had not felt so useless since the height of the Grindelwald War. "I know most of the spells that can do with Monsieur Delacour has done and none allow any physical movement. Not unless it's been set up before hand, which I am assuming it hasn't."

"It. Hasn't." Gabriel groaned as the pain faded. It had been agreed that the Chief Warlock was to believe it was merely a temporary spell Gabriel had cast in order to monitor Harry's health rather than anything more specific. His wife and eldest daughter helped the weak man into one of the chairs and a blonde lightning bolt meant that Gabrielle was in his lap, hugging and crying against her father's shoulder.

"Amelia!" Came the obnoxious voice of Fudge from the doorway and more than one person groaned. "What's going on here. Where are we in all of this mess? Why haven't we found the Potter boy yet?"

Only those closest to her heard the low growl of disgust at Fudge's attitude as she headed the man off before he got too close to Delacours.

"I will get some air, Monsieur Dumbledore," Gabriel weakly said, pushing himself up even as his knees threatened to give way.

"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said distracted, his mind working through possibilities only he could think of.

The family took their time moving to the Hall's entrance. Narcissa made to followed them, only for Andromeda to put an hand on her sister's arm. The two parts of the infamous trio of Black Sisters looked each other in the eyes for the first time in too many years.

"Thank you, Cissy."

"We'll speak soon, dear sister," Narcissa replied, enjoying the blink of confusion on her sister's face. Apparently little Nymphadora was keeping secrets from her mother.

I wonder if she knows about Sirius' brood. Narcissa mused, ignoring her cousin's Animagus form as she walked away. All Blacks could feel each other, if only a little. Speaking of, the little changeling must be looking after Melania tonight.

She closed in on the Delacours just as the father lifted his head to the skies. Behind them, werewolf and grim caught the movement and used their ears to pick out the most wonderful words they had ever heard.

"He's coming."

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oOoOo

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Between Remus and Padfoot rushing out of the Hall and Dumbledore feeling the school's wards alert him to an incoming portkey, everyone was quickly outside when an exhausted and bloody Harry Potter crashed into the ground not far from Gabriel.

Harry rolled off the prone Crouch Junior and sat up on his knees, weaving from side to side like a drunkard. His face was bloodied and when he grinned, his teeth were a crimson mess.

"Neville, my brother," Harry spoke in a voice too calm to be natural, waving a hand at the man moaning in pain beside him. "I give you an early birthday present. One dying Barty Crouch Junior."

Neville stumbled to a stop and stared open-mouthed at the beaten form of the man who had helped torture his parents. The Death Eater looked sickly but not dying, though there was no way he would doubt Harry's words. Possibly for the first time since Harry had uncovered the fake Moody, the son of Frank and Alice Longbottom was able to breath easy.

"Mr Potter, just what is going on here?" Fudge demanded, hating that attention was on someone else. Harry's head wobbled as he attempted to look towards the the Minister only to spot the streak of blonde hair behind the man.

"Lady Malfoy, it's with deepest regret that I inform you of your husband's return to the side of Voldemort," all the voices demanding for answers crashed to a half at the announcement. Harry's voice rose and he looked to the heavens, speaking ritual words he had found in the Book even as his was losing consciousness. "And so I say to you, Lucius Malfoy. What you have betrayed, I strip. For what you have used against me, I claim. For the betrayal of something grander than you will ever be, I claim your greatest gifts. Your Magic and your life."

A harsh wind picked up and swirled around Harry and a blue nimbus radiated from his body. Luna gasped as she Saw the magics working around and through her friend while those of Black blood shuddered at the price of the ultimate betrayal to their sister House. The wind settled, the glow faded and Harry fell face-first into the dirt.

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oOoOo

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Later than night

Minister Cornelius Fudge sat in his office and was truly scared. Scared for his life and his position.

The revelation of Barty Crouch smuggling his son out of Azkaban had prompted the search of his home. Fudge was under no illusions that a far too sensitive folder had been found and in the hands of those who stood against him.

He still held sway over the Ministry and knew he could block much of Bones' work to bring Black to either trial or simply give him freedom. Though Fudge thought a quick Kiss from a Dementor was still the best option in eliminating the man, that came with the problem of no one knowing where the escapee was. He also wanted the same for Barty but the blasted woman had secreted the former DMLE Head away somewhere outside of Fudge's ability to find. For now.

The Minister couldn't afford to accept that Voldemort had returned. The type of reforms needed to cleanse the Ministry of those who had, did, and would again, support the Dark Lord were too restrictive. Worst of all they would bring to light far too many of his own personal deals that he needed to stay hidden.

And now there was a new threat. That disgusting Boy-Who-Lived and the light-show outside Hogwarts. Fudge might not have been one of the more powerful wizards around but even he felt the magic that risen at the brat's declaration...ritual...whatever the hell it was. Combined with the news that Barty Junior was dying of an unknown poison that not even the best healers in the private sector could identity, let along cure, and Fudge was a very scared man. The rumours were that the Potter boy, once he reached his maturity at seventeen, was looking to bring back many of the Old Ways and help build up both the Potter and Black Houses. He couldn't have that.

The Blacks had to die.

But how? Fudge chewed at his lower lip. He needed the boy gone. Gone long before he got as powerful politically as he seemed to be magically. Getting rid of Dumbledore wouldn't hurt either. Damn the man. He even taught the brat how to cast a Patronus at thirteen.

Fudge's eyes opened and he cackled softly as the idea hit him. The boy already had one strike against his name in regards to underage magic. Another would allow Fudge to demand the brat's wand be snapped and magic bound. He might even be lucky enough that the Black would show his nasty face to end two problems at once.

Yes, yes that will work. Fudge thought. Attack them both. He corrected the plan. Fudge grinned as things began to settle into place and he knew that even if, by some strange chance, the brat got off without losing his magic, he and his mentor wouldn't last another year.

The power and myth of Harry Potter was about to die.

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oOoOo


	19. Send in the Clowns

**AN:** **A shout out to Baldahir for being this story's 1,000th follower.**

 **I've been blown away by how much you're enjoying my writing style so thank you all for those comments. I've uploaded this early so I can go through to make sure there haven't been any strange italics editing by FF. Do point those out to me in comments as they certainly are not my design. Something keeps going on between my uploads, edits, writing these ANs/SNs and you reading the chapters.**

 **lynxreader - Year 5 will have a couple of things similar to cannon but it's where the majority of the timeline begins to completely splinter off from the books. For me, the trial was more about revealing to Harry the flaw in Dumbledore than Fudge's antagonism. You're right in that neither issues need to be shown in this story. I hope I show good enough reasons why, Dolyistly, the attack and trial still happen here. The attack and trial are actually the jumping off points for some radical changes.**

 **warrof - Not sure where the deus ex machina is that you saw. I tend to foreshadow a lot of things in my stories and if you're talking about the wands then that's taken directly from cannon.**

 **LtHartnett - Balancing Harry's power is something I've made a point of focusing on. You'll see in the early part of this chapter what he did to Lucius and how it won't be used again.**

 **megaslayer321a - Great guess with the ritual.**

 **Dark Neko 4000 - I've always enjoyed the stories that have Harry become an adult not long after the Goblet spits his name out for that reason.**

 **It seemed some of you weren't too happy with the choice of chapter title. It's a take on both Fudge's thoughts at the end as well as the true beginning of Melania taking over.**

* * *

Send in the Clowns, There's Been a Murder (Attempt)

 _25th June, 1995 – Hogwarts, insanely early._

The crowd who had come for the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and seen the results of a kidnapping, had finally dispersed, while Minister Fudge had stormed off in a huff to do whatever it was he did. Remus had carefully taken the hurt, and thankfully unconscious, Harry to the Hospital Wing. Kingsley Shacklebolt, under the orders of Amelia Bones, had taken the severely injured Barty Junior into custody.

Now a small group of tired and worried witches and wizards were sitting in a Hogwarts conference room awaiting news on the very special boy they had all come to care for.

"As much as we need to know what happened," Dumbledore broke the long silence and it was the voice of the Chief Warlock speaking rather than the silly Headmaster of Hogwarts. The powerful man looked at each face to judge the impact of his words. "I feel we can trust in the conclusion that Lord Voldemort has returned."

As were the way of things, some in the room shivered at the casual usage of the most feared of names.

"My connection spell should not have had me feeling Harry's pain," Gabriel Delacour informed them, continuing with the ruse of it being a focused spell rather than to do with the special ring Harry wore. His wife, Apolline, rubbed his arm in comfort and support. The man still looked pale at the echo of what young Harry had suffered. "I can only imagine the agony he was put through in order for it to travel through the connection."

"He always was powerful," Sirius growled, sounding far more Padfoot than his man. The moment the meeting had been decided upon Amelia had demanded Sirius to reveal himself. The stern Head of the DMLE had then hugged him within an inch of his life. "The question is, what the bloody hell did he want with Harry?"

"Alas, I fear I might know," Dumbledore sighed, leaning back to guarantee he was the centre of attention. He was a master showman and such movements came both easy and natural. "There are certain necromantic rituals which demand a price of blood. Did any of you notice the precise cut on Harry's arm? It is the type of wound consistent if he was tied down and had his blood taken."

"Fudge won't listen to any of this," Amos Diggory announced with contempt towards the absent Minister. Cedric's father looked almost as exhausted as Sirius, yet had demanded entrance into the meeting to support the boy who had saved his only child's life. "He's going to bury his head in the sand. Or worse, attempt to paint Harry as an angry child trying to get attention after losing the Tournament. Especially with Malfoy gold being involved."

"My husband will not be a problem," Narcissa told the room calmly from across the table. The Lady Malfoy sat regally and looked to have taken no personal offence to Diggory's accusation. "Our brave Minister, and the Dark Lord, will not be able to enjoy my husband's money for too much longer."

"Forgive me, Lady Malfoy," Amelia stared at the apparently cold woman. Her trademarked monocle was firmly in place and her tone demanded answers. "But what did Scion Potter actually do?"

"There are treaties between our Families. Treaties that allow for the demand of payments should either side ever turn on the other," Sirius answered for his cousin. A clammy hand ran over his face as he tried pushing away the horrifying image of Harry lying broken on the ground. If their families' dirty laundry had to be aired then Sirius would do so. It was he who had asked Harry to start down the road. "If Lucius was there tonight...last night...it means he was active in the attempted...the attempted murder of Harry. Harry could demand equal payment for what was tried."

Nervous looks spread across the room at the idea of such penalties over broken agreements. Such things weren't unheard of but extremely rare. After the death of the Potters, it was often ignored how Grey and steeped in the Old Ways that truly was. Much better the myth and awe over that Halloween than the less than pleasant reality. Andromeda snapped when she saw fear rise to replace concern over Harry's life.

"Grow up," her palm slammed down on the table and ashamed faces cringed as they felt themselves being dressed down like insolent children. "They're old treaties between our two Houses and have nothing to do with anyone not a Black or Potter. So don't even think of turning on Harry for what was agreed centuries ago!"

"Indeed," Narcissa added, the cold tone only added to their shame and unease. "In any case, Magic had to judge Scion Potter's claim before payment was taken. A false claim would have put the judgement back upon him."

"I apologies, but I must ask," Amelia nervously probed, her curiosity overcoming the dressing down from the infamous women. "But could he do the same to Bellatrix Lestrange if she were to ever attack him?"

The two sisters glared daggers at the Head of DMLE for even talking about the death of their third. Lestrange might be an insane criminal and loyal follower of the Dark Lord but she was still their sister. Sirius' took over the explanations to keep tempers from flaring.

"No. It only affects those married into either family," he couldn't count how many times he and James had wished her idea had been possible during the first war. "Those born into the families are off limits to that level of payment and before you ask, no it can't be done to Rodolphus either. The magic Harry called forth can only be used once per generation. It's a protection built into the very magic."

"We are straying from the point," Amos demanded, having no interest in any more obscure magic talk. He was a simply man with simply desires. "What are we going to do about the return of You-Know-Who and what happened to Harry?"

"I am afraid we might need to work outside of Minister Fudge's control," Dumbledore informed them sagely, his hands coming together so he could tap fingers against his chin.

"You're talking about the Order of the Phoenix," Amelia guessed, clearly not liking what she was hearing. "I can't officially sanction what you're talking about, Dumbledore. The Order is tantamount to a vigilante group."

"What is this Order?" Amos asked passionately, jumping on any chance to simply do _something._

"A group I put together during the war," the Chef Warlock explained with a twinkle, completely ignoring Madam Bones' warning. "We did all we could to protect and counter Voldemort's forces."

"I see your problem, Amelia."

"Indeed," she nodded to her fellow Ministry worker and then gave a sigh of defeat. "However, if you _do_ reactivate the Order, I must demand that you don't get in the DMLE's way and help me as much as possible. I will not have this country split into three factions because you can't play well with others."

The great Wizard hummed over the request for a few seconds before giving his agreement in the manner of a lord allowing his subjects some small favour. Amelia sent a look towards Remus and the Black women who all gave affirmative blinks. None of them trusted the great Dumbledore to play fair.

"If either of you need my help in this," Amos told the two leaders as he rose. "Then do not hesitate to ask. That boy saved my Cedric and a Diggory stands by their friends."

With that the man left to make his way home to a wife and son waiting on news of Harry's condition.

"I'll say goodbye to Susan and spend some time with Crouch Junior," Amelia announced, her face clearly showing which she preferred. "I can only imagine the chaos Fudge is going to cause now. Sirius, it was good not seeing you, make sure I continue not seeing you until we can get you your trial."

Sirius blinked at the convoluted sentence but was able to give some type of smile before she left. Amelia's heart ached at the sight of her former love's broken look and wished there was something she could do for him.

"We must begin quickly in order to keep Voldemort from getting too far ahead of us," Dumbledore told the remaining group. "Arthur, I can trust on you and Molly?"

"Of course," the Head of House Weasley declared, willing to do whatever was needed for the boy they had practically adopted.

"Sirius, Remus. We have been at odds this year but I must ask that we put it all aside. For Harry's sake as well as our cause."

Both men nodded though Andromeda and Narcissa saw a familiar set to Sirius' jaw that told of a different answer.

"I think I will go to my office until we know more of what happened tonight. Minerva, would you ask Hagrid...and Madame Maxime if she consents...to join me?"

"Of course, Albus," the subdued Scotswoman answered, barely looking at her mentor. She had been as morose as Sirius since Harry's kidnapping, regrets and mistakes threatening to swallow her alive.

Dumbledore left the group to their thoughts and was followed out by Arthur Weasley who had his own desperate family waiting for news. Almost immediately Sirius pulled out his wand and smothered the room in security spells.

"I think I speak for each of us here when I say we have Harry's best interests at heart," he said in a much firmer voice than he had used at any point that earlier.

The elder Delacours, the Black sisters, Remus and the two members of staff in McGonagall and Flitwick all nodded in agreement.

"What I am about to tell you is something only a very few people know," he informed them and those who remembered Arcturus Black were immediately reminded of the great man. "We believe that Harry was specifically targeted by Voldemort when he was a baby. Harry actually remembers that night and how snake-face even told Lily to move out of the way."

"Merlin," McGonagall gasped, a hand rising to her throat at the thought of someone deliberately going after a wee barn. "Why?"

"We don't know. Yet," Remus answered for his friend. "But we do suspect that Dumbledore knows and it's a reason that Harry will never be free of attacks."

"Why are you telling us?" Narcissa struck at the heart of what they were all thinking.

"Because if we're right then that monster won't stop," Sirius spat, top lip pulled back into a snarl. "Anyone close to Harry will be a target."

"But also something else, non?" Apolline spoke for the first time, her too smart gaze staring into the Marauders' souls. "The monster attacked Harry yet he escaped. If he targets Harry yet the _petit guerrier_ has enough support to stand against him then he becomes proof the monster can be defeated."

"Make. No. Mistake." Sirius emphasised every word, glaring at each of them. "I am talking about building a support around my godson strong enough to survive the coming storm."

"But if you can also prove the Dark Lord is not invincible, all the better," Narcissa said with approval at the Slytherin move.

"House Potter and House Black against the world?" Andromeda asked and he gave an emphatic nod.

"For Harry."

"Non," Gabriel shook his head just as emphatically. "House Delacour stands with him always."

"As do I," Flitwick declared.

"As do I," McGonagall added with only the slightest hesitation. She knew it would eventually bring them up against Albus but her cub was worth whatever she had to pay. It was a price she should have paid long before now.

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oOoOo

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 _25th June, 1995. Later._

"I am against this and once again raise my objects," Pomfrey declared, her anger threatening to cause her to self-combust.

"I understand, Poppy..."

"Do you, Albus?" She snapped. "This is his second near emptying of his core this year alone. His wand hand had third degree burns, he suffered some of the most powerful effects of a Crucio I've ever seen, and is emotionally fragile. The boy needs to sleep until he's ready."

"We need to know what happened last night," Amelia once again explained, disgust at what she was asking clearly written on her sharp features.

It was the three of them plus Remus and Padfoot. Neither of the two Marauders were impressed with the idea of waking up their Prongslet early. Not even at Pomfrey's admission that it wouldn't cause any adverse harm. The matron sighed in resignation and waved her wand. The magic released the poor child out of the magically induced sleep she had put him in and she carefully, like a mother looking after their child, slid his glasses onto his face.

It was an agonising few minutes for the waiting adults as Harry's mind struggled for consciousness. Slowly his eyelids twitched and then opened, and he groggily looked at the ceiling.

"Is my name on the wall yet?" He croaked, bringing up her threat of having a plaque over his usual bed.

"Not this time," she softly replied as Remus moved closer to help him sit. Pomfrey offered a cool glass of water.

"I'm guessing its questions time?" Harry asked in a soft whisper once the water had gone down his sore throat. He looked weak enough to fall to a determined breeze and his eyes kept drooping shut.

"I'm afraid so, Harry, my boy," Dumbledore told him. Padfoot jumped onto the bed and pushed his head beneath Harry's hand so the weak Gryffindor could stroke behind the dog's ear.

"It's best to do it when it's still fresh," Amelia explained with a gentle voice. "But we'll take our time, okay?"

Harry grunted in reply and set about explaining how he had sent Cedric into the Cup and everything that followed. Although there were moments of difficulty for Harry, he found the experience easier to tell than sharing his childhood with Luna. The truth of that thought saddened the far too mature boy.

"You didn't have to poison him, Harry," the disappointed Headmaster chided after the description of Harry's duel with Crouch Junior. Amelia looked like she wanted to strangle the man with his own beard for advocating mercy while Padfoot let loose a low growl.

"I was fighting for my life," Harry snorted, unimpressed by the sad look he was being given. "And he deserves it for what he did to Neville's parents."

Amelia had been a close friend to the joyful Alice Longbottom and completely agreed with the statement.

"Revenge should never be an option, Harry."

"Morality lesson later, perhaps?" Remus suggested with a glare. Dumbledore realised no one else agreed with him and conceded the point with a shallow nod.

Harry continued, blushing as he mentioned how he ranted and raved at Wormtail – Madam Bones being completely unsurprised by the mention of an apparent dead man – and then it was time for the description of the ritual.

While Harry's eyelids kept fluttering shut from exhaustion and Padfoot watched his godson with canine intensity, Remus had been keeping a focused eye on Dumbledore's reaction to what was being said. As such he was the only one who caught the strange gleam of satisfaction in the Chief Warlock's blue eyes. It was gone as soon as it came but the werewolf would never forget its sight.

Harry named every Death Eater he could remember being mentioned by Riddle and Amelia eagerly scribbled the information down. She didn't believe there was much she could do about the important members of society immediately, but a few under the table surveillance missions weren't beyond her capacities. Once Harry reached the strange phenomena that happened between the two wands, it was once again time for Dumbledore to share his vast knowledge.

"Prior Incantatem." The old wizard explained with authority. "When two brother wands clash, one forces the other to submit and then produce an overpowered Incanto."

"Brother wands?" Remus asked with a frown.

"Yes, indeed," Dumbledore appeared to take on a sense of pride at what he revealed. "Both Harry and Voldemort's wands contain a feather from Fawkes."

Harry struggled to explain what happened next. The tears flowed, sobs tore at his weakened body, but he got past the description of his parents with the support of his Family. Padfoot snuggled closer, whining softly at his own emotional pain while Remus pulled his cub into a tight hug. When it came to replaying the words spoken, Amelia cut him off.

"Just tell us what happened after you broke the connection, Harry."

And so he did. The last blast at Riddle and accio'ing Crouch Junior to him. Amelia thanked the exhausted young man and left, amazed at what she had heard. She knew the majority of her Aurors would have struggled to come back alive from the experience and those who did, most would likely have been broken. Dumbledore attempted another lecture about redemption and forgiveness but had to stop as the silent Pomfrey sent Harry into a deep sleep through the use of one of her potions.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

That night found Harry dreaming of a far too familiar open field. The grass was completely clean of blood, here and there the early shoots of flowers could be seen, and he felt a slight breeze attempting to stir. All-in-all in seemed a place for peace and reflection.

Harry looked around for the wolf that he knew was Melania's Animagus form but the beautiful creature was nowhere to be seen. He didn't know why he was there so did what felt the right thing to do, sitting cross-legged on the damp grass and begin deep breathing exercises. There was no sense of time as Harry pulled in the crisp dream air and released the tension of the third task. He could easily have continued until he woke up if he hadn't become aware that he was no longer alone. Opening his eyes, he was blown away by the sight that greeted him.

The large animal stood on four legs and its pale golden fur was covered in a litany of scars. Harry knew every single one even if some had faded off his own body. That he was sitting on the ground while the beast stood proudly in front of him only increased the sense of awe Harry felt.

"You're me?" He asked in awe, the reaction with the sphinx actually making sense. Cat's weren't too enamoured with other felines they didn't know.

A small mane crowned the cat's face that was covered in light stripes of darkened fur. One stripe was darker than all the rest and took the familiar shape of a lightning bolt. Harry remembered seeing a similar creature from his only trip to the zoo.

It was before the Dursleys had dragged him into the reptile house. Dudley was desperate to see the Big Cat exhibit the moment he heard it had a special visitor from Ontario, Canada. Though Harry was sure his idiot of a cousin had no idea where Canada even was.

The on-loan animal was a Liger - the offspring of a male lion and female tiger - and had been brought over for the month and Harry had hated seeing such a powerful animal caged.

This one, Harry's one, was large enough for him to ride.

The Avada eyes of the liger looked down at its front right leg and Harry's gaze automatically followed. He gasped when he saw that the leg seemed to be injured and a foul liquid oozed from the horrible looking wound. Suddenly a frighteningly familiar pain lashed through Harry's arm and he pulled the sleeve of his top back to stare in fear at the basilisk scar.

The wound had burst open to look almost exactly the way it had once he had pulled the lethal fang out of his arm. Harry's heart stuttered and then pounded loudly in his head as he began to feel the same numbness he had experienced in the Chamber. Harry tried desperately to pull himself to his feet, as though to run from the reality of what was happening to him, but could only manage to crawl onto all fours. The liger's ferocious roar of pain and anguish broke through the buzzing in Harry's ears and the Boy-Who-Lived watched the proud beast stumble as it too succumbed to the deadly toxin.

Harry's gaze was drawn to the liger's leg. Through blurred vision, he saw the wound bulge as though something was trying to escape it. His stomach twisted and almost released its contents as the skin split even more. To Harry's horror, a miniature version of Slytherin's basilisk wormed its way free.

Harry was leaning on one hand, his right arm curled into his body with black spots filled his vision, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the snake. It slid up the liger's body yet the beast seemed unaware of the danger that was so close. The large predator was constantly shaking its head, as if pure spite and refusal to give in would conquer the approaching darkness. Harry tried crying out to warn the strong beast. The words died in his throat and he was forced to watch the baby basilisk strike the liger's brow.

Both boy and beast reared back in a mutual cry of pain as they felt the sinking in of fangs. The heavens responded to their call as a storm erupted from the empty blue skies. Harry felt the clear liquid hit his face and tasted its saltiness as it fell into his open mouth.

A flash of orange lightning pierced the sky. The thunder that followed wasn't the deep rumblings of nature but the soothing echoes of a phoenix song. The rain, phoenix tears Harry realised in amazement, cleansed their bodies of the pain and venom.

The rain-tears fell in a torrent, drenching them both. Harry looked down at his arm to watch the liquid away away the dark blood to reveal glistening skin. Once again he was thrown back to the Chamber when Fawkes had healed him.

"My blood," Harry gasped, his sore throat healing along with his arm. He looked up at the liger and frowned when he saw that it didn't seem to be as healing as he was.

The animal was throwing its head back and forth, growling roughly, even though the basilisk had vanished in the rain. The large cat suddenly stiffened and leaned forward as a ripple raced beneath the wet fur of its back. Harry watched in equal parts horror and wonder as two magnificent wings of the deepest black exploded from the powerful body. The liger reared back and roared again, this time in triumph, and opened its eyes.

They were noticeably more slitted than they had been before and Harry was sure the vicious teeth had a more reptilian curve to them. He somehow pulled himself to his feet and staggered over to the unique beast. He couldn't stop himself from lifting his left hand up to tentatively stroke the large cat as the rain began to ease. To his delight, it responded eagerly by pushing its head into the open palm.

Harry laughed in self-depreciation. It seemed even his Animagus form had to be different. The winged liger growled at the thought and Harry gave it a faint, apologetic smile. Apparently he wasn't allowed to think bad about himself or his cat.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The next few days were a blur for Harry. The Weasley clan, sans Ron and Percy, had fallen on him en masse and it took Arthur far too long to calm his hysterical wife as she squeezed Harry within an inch of his life.

Bill and Charlie, the dragon handler finally over his annoyance at losing the Welsh Green, wished him better. The twins were thankful in having their future business parter back with them while Ginny was frozen in fear. Harry had to pull the teary-eyed girl into a hug as her own personal demon had returned to the land of the living...ish. He caught her hand just as the the clan eventually began to leave.

"I survived, Gin," he told her in a hushed voice to keep the others from overhearing. "I hit him with a spell too. He isn't unbeatable."

She smiled in gratitude but it didn't touch her eyes and Harry knew some things took time.

The Slytherin duo of Daphne and Tracey came alone and Harry refused to let them leave until they promised to be careful now that their House-mates had confirmed Death Eater parents. They all knew that some students wouldn't be able to avoid following in their dark footsteps.

The Diggorys visited and Mrs. Diggory was as clinging as Molly Weasley, this time in thanks for saving her boy. Cedric would have been embarrassed if he hadn't felt so terrible, even more so for becoming the Tri-Wizard Champion.

"You got good points against the dragon," Harry argued with a passion that had Amos smiling. "You won the second task and you got to the Cup. It's yours, you idiot, you deserve it. I didn't even want to be in the tournament."

Cedric would only accepted the title with the promise of facing Harry in a Seeker vs Seeker competition the next year. Harry immediately agreed and the two friends shared a look that had Mrs. Diggory rolling her eyes and saying _boys_ to the ceiling. Before leaving Cedric dropped a bag on Harry's side table that clinked.

"For your good cause," he explained, firmly. "The world can do with a good laugh, especially now."

"Ced...I..." Harry tried to refuse but the Hufflepuff was determined. In the end Harry took the money and mentally smirked as he came up with an idea. Cedric had said nothing about not making him a partner.

The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff girls visited him the most. The first time had been without Tonks and his sad face at the missing girl sent the other females giggling. Hermione told him how 'Natalia' had been taken away as her parents wanted her out of the country after the events of the third task. He took it to mean Madam Bones had recalled Tonks from her bodyguard duty and hoped she looked after herself.

Neville had declared himself Harry's ally the moment the Longbottom heir entered the Hospital Wing. Apparently the gift of Crouch Junior had been the final straw for the most fierce Augusta Longbottom. Harry helping her grandson grow as a wizard had caused the stern woman to swell with pride at the type of man Neville was turning into and the gift of one of the people who had taken her son and daughter-in-law away had her demanding House Longbottom side with House Potter.

Accepting the offer of alliance was the easiest decision Harry ever made.

The last visitors to Harry before his release had been Gabriel Delacour with a recharged ring.

"It has saved you once before," the strong man said, the ring held out between them. "And I wish for it to have the opportunity to save you again."

"Thank you, Gabriel," Harry had not yet heard how Fleur's father had felt echoes of his torture at the wand of Voldemort and so quickly took the ring. As he slide it onto its finger, he blinked in surprise as it vanished from sight. He looked up at Gabriel for answers.

"The invisible cannot be taken and will save you as easily as the visible."

"May there always be a such a ring on my finger," Harry told the man in deepest gratitude, truly wanting the friendship between their families to continue. The words were apparently the right ones as Gabriel beamed. A quick bow later and Gabriel was gone.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

It was time for everyone to leave Hogwarts. The Leaving Feast had been a fabulous one for the Hufflepuffs as Cedric was officially named Tri-Wizard Champion. Their happy mood was soured slightly at Dumbledore's warning of Voldemort's return. Harry's trunk was packed and he was still arguing with a stubborn owl.

"Listen, Hed," he tried again. "I'm only staying there until my birthday. That's when I go to the goblins, get declared an early Lord Potter and we move in with Sirius at his home. You don't need to stay in that horrible place until then."

The argument between Owl and her pet had come about from events once again outside of Harry's control. Black Manor was technically unclaimed until Sirius or Melania took up their ownership of it and Dumbledore had used the chaos post-third task to take it as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.

The ownership of the Manor was a loopholed mess that the Defeater of Grindelwald walked through. There was no logical argument to keep the Order out that wouldn't expose their plans for Harry's birthday so the small family had reluctantly agreed. What they didn't expect was for Dumbledore to then place the Manor under a Fidelius Charm with himself as the Secret-Keeper. The result being Harry was stuck with spending the month with the Dursleys.

Hoot!

Hedwig's annoyance brought Harry out of his frustrated thoughts.

"I know you want to be there for me."

HOOT!

"And protect me," he quickly added, really not wanting to face his familiar if she truly lost her temper. "But I don't like seeing you locked up in that cage. And I'm worried they'll do something to you."

Hedwig glared angrily at Harry and he had a sinking feeling he wasn't going to win the argument.

"Dobby can protect her Royal Owlness!" His little friend cried out, popping in from wherever he was hiding. "Dobby bes making sure no one hurt Master Harry Potter sirs Royal Owlness."

Hedwig's even more powerful glare dared Harry to argue against the obvious answer and he threw his arms up in defeat. "Fine, fine, you win."

The smug female laughter that followed was easy to understand no matter the species.

Before the school emptied, Harry made sure to catch the twins alone to pass over the Tri-Wizard winnings. He explained how Cedric had wanted it to help their cause and they eager accepted Harry's alteration to his plan.

With that, it was time to ride the Hogwarts Express and deal with the Dursleys for little less than a month.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _23rd July, 1995_

The month leading up to Harry's birthday was one of laughter, frustration and plenty of learning. Undeterred by the Headmaster's obsessive need to know everything going on in Harry's life, he and Sirius had used the same routine as the previous summer to give them time together.

Harry would wake and make a show of revealing himself to both Dursleys and whoever was the guard that day. Once he had been seen, the magic of elf Apparition had Melania transported to a Black property in Middlesex where she would have a late breakfast with her father and honorary uncle. The Marauders were forced to alternate who could then stay with her in order to not arouse suspicions over Sirius' "disappearances" into the Black only parts of Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Whoever stayed with Melania, and sometimes she was lucky enough to have both men, would spend half the day having fun as well as teaching the soon-to-be Lady Black everything she would need to know to run her House.

During the times it was only Remus, she would constantly push him on details of the werewolf Packs. She was fully aware that the downtrodden people were easy pickings for Riddle's lies.

A late lunch would end their time together for the day and Harry would be forced to return to Privet Drive. The times when it was the real Mad-Eye Moody guarding him, he would even have to time-turn back and use elf magic in order to keep up appearances to the paranoid Auror.

Harry's contact with his friends were sporadic at most and once again only made possible by the elves. Even Kreacher was willing to pass letters on to his Slytherin friends in rebellion against the evil Mister Whiskers. All his friends had been told about the essential house arrest and were, to his pleasure, up in arms about what was being done to a Scion of a Noble and Most Ancient House. It was only Harry's hints at being able to take control that kept those from the more influential families from storming the Ministry, Hogwarts or both and demand his freedom.

Most annoyingly, it was Hermione whose letters were the most strained and empty of any real content. She was with Sirius at...the place...and, according to Sirius and Remus, had been instructed by the great and powerful Dumbledore to keep anything she told him to a complete minimum. Her letters were then mostly filled with viscous and creative rants that had Harry reaching for a thesaurus for half the words. The Weasleys had apparently turned Melania's future home into a secondary Burrow and had even left both Ron and Ginny there to annoy his smart friend.

According to Tonks, the adults had been forced to hide a lot of the sharpest knives as the Raven in Lion's clothing seemed to constantly lose her temper with the youngster Weasley boy.

The days and evenings at Privet Drive had been made much more bearable by Nymphadora Tonks being one of his bodyguards. When it was her turn to watch him, the two friends would often spend the time walking around Little Whinging and talking of anything and everything. Whether it was as Harry or Melania, the feelings for the bubbly metamorphmagus continued to torment the young Scion. Yet putting those aside, there was no arguing her importance as their closest friend.

It was getting late into the evening and Harry had been stretching and rubbing at various joints for a while. Tonks cut off her complaints over having her mother Andromeda involved with the Order to give him an appraising eye.

"When I started learning how to do a full body change, I would practice by keeping a form as long as possible."

"Gives a new meaning to old saying of pulling a funny face and having it stuck that way," he joked, expecting her to smile at the lame remark.

"It was easy except for one problem," She informed him, her unusual seriousness catching Harry's attention. "I would start feeling off. Like my entire body was too tight over my bones."

"That's it," he declared, happy to have a way of explaining the strange feelings that had been plaguing him. "That's how it's feeling. Wait, you're saying I'm itching to change?"

"Aren't you?" She challenged. "It'll settle down eventually but your body is getting sore from the constant shifting and wants you to be in the form it prefers."

She allowed him to keep his silence as they continued their walk, eventually slipping into a side alley so he could lean against the wall. She was right. He hadn't noticed it in the beginning, but it was getting progressively harder for Melania to become Harry, and Harry admitted that the mental identity changes were equally as sluggish. To take his mind off what it could all mean, Harry turned his focus to another problem by releasing his wand from its holster.

"You keep playing with it," Dora pointed out, avoiding the obvious joke even as her eyes twinkled with the desire to go there.

"I've not used it since that night," he sighed, turning the slightly chard wood in his hand. She had heard the story of the clash of wands and Harry had even confessed to her how his wand had been giving up. She took a good look at it now and could see how different it looked from her time in Hogwarts. It looked _weak_. "I can still feel it but it's very faint."

Tonks squeezed his shoulder in sympathy. She had never personally lost a wand but knew that it was often a painful experience for many. The air around then suddenly chilled and Harry heard a terrifyingly familiar sound. Hoarse, rattling breaths that only came from one creature he knew of.

"What the bloody hell?" Tonks cried out, drawing her own wand as she looked up one end of the ally and down the other. "Please tell me this isn't what I think it is."

"Please tell me you know how to do a Patronus," Harry replied, stepping out from the wall so they could stand back to back. The evening had gotten much darker than it had a right to and out of the shadows came two Dementors. Harry felt Tonks flinch against his back and forced himself to look over their shoulders, only to see a second pair of soul-sucking demons blocking that end as well.

"Damn straight I do," Tonks growled in fury, ignoring how white her knuckles were as she gripped her wand. The cold was already seeping into her bones and a ghost of taunts from her Hogwarts days could already be heard in her thoughts.

Harry's wand seemed to spark into life in his hand, ready to fight for its master despite its weakened state. Harry grinned and it was wild, feral thing as he called up his happiest memory. "Then do it, Tonks. _Expecto Patronum!"_

Harry heard Tonks' own cry follow his own and the alley was ablaze in the silver glow of Patroni. Harry almost lost focus when, instead of Prongs shooting from his wand, a silvery Padfoot charged forward to stand as protector against the evil creatures. The cold increased and the Dementors pushed forward, fighting against the painful Patroni.

"They're not going anywhere, Harry!" Tonks cried out and he could hear the fear in her voice. The cold was increasing and the draining mental effects were beginning to fray his happy memories.

It was the threat to Tonks, the bubbly woman who was both a friend, Family, and still hopefully more, that set Harry's anger ablaze. He snarled in fury and used a spell from the _Potter Book._

"This is going to be tricky," he told her over his shoulder. His wand tingled in his grasp, echoes of its clash with its brother, as he tightened his grip and screamed. " _Patronum Mortifer!"_

A second grim erupted from the holly stick, its silvery fur laced with black streaks, and it had a much stronger sense of corporeality than the first. It raced past the first grim and charged muzzle first into the nearest Dementor. It ripped into the creature as they landed on the dirty concrete and the Dementor's horrific death cries filled the air.

Harry didn't wait to see the terror's death, instead spinning to face the ones coming at Tonks. Her Patronus was fading, the loveable girl unused to the debilitating effects that were made worse by the closed in environment of the alley. She was shaking wildly, her eyes glazing over, and Harry's anger at seeing her in such a state had him push far more magic into his second _Mortifer_. The moment it brought down its target had the others fleeing in fear. The demons of Wizarding Britain finally knowing what it meant to suffer at the mouths of other.

Harry released his hold on his Patroni and three Grims, two whose muzzles were caked in black blood, faded away. At the same time his wand crumbled to dust, the wood crumbling apart in its final death to reveal the badly burnt feather inside. He numbly caught the delicate thing before it drifted away in the breeze and slipped it into a pocket, heartbroken over the true death of a friend.

"You killed them," Tonks mumbled in shock, her own wand still hanging loosely by her side. "Morgana, you actually killed them."

"They pissed me off," Harry growled, a part of him childishly hoping the two he had killed were ones who had tormented Sirius. The thought of his godfather brought him sharply back to the here and now.

"Come on, I need to get back and tell Sirius," he grabbed her hand and pulled. Tonks was too stunned over the death of the unkillable to do more than stumble after him. It wasn't until they were almost at Number Four that she snapped out of her daze.

"Merlin, the trace," she cried, pulling Harry to a stop with a hard tug. "The Ministry will know you performed magic."

"Bloody marvellous," he snorted. Trouble with the Ministry was exactly what he didn't need so close to his birthday. "Any chance you sneak into the house under your cloak?"

"Now is not the time to be trying to get me into your bedroom, hot stuff," she retorted, instantly. The playful glint in her eyes filled with him relief. The sight of a dazed and confused Tonks was not one he ever wanted to experience again.

"I'd never do that to you, hon," he promised with feeling. "Not in this dump. It would be a much better place I'd take you for that."

She blushed heavily, her bubblegum pink hair streaking with vivid red and she pulled her hand from his to smack his arm. "Prat."

"Yep," he grinned, popping the 'p', only to quickly turn serious. "The last time something like this happened was with Dobby and they sent me a letter."

"Standard protocol," she explained. "They'll do it again too only this might not be so nice."

"Hence why I'd like you there."

She nodded and made sure no one was looking before slipping on her invisibility cloak. Harry took a deep breath and walked the rest of the way to the Dursleys, his head held high as though to dare the world to do its worse.

It was surprisingly easy to get Tonks into the house. No one inside cared that he opened the door wider than it needed to be, nor that he waited for a brief pause before entering.

"BOY! Where have you been?" Vernon yelled from the kitchen and Harry rolled his eyes at how the shouting had started only once the door clicked shut.

He purposely walked to the kitchen and glared at his uncle, the fight with the Dementors too raw for him to fully control his temper.

"I've been out, as you full well know."

"Don't take that tone with me, boy!" Vernon roared, pushing his unhealthily large growth up from the kitchen table. Harry stepped forward and growled, magic making his eyes glow, and the obese man dropped back down with a stutter.

"You...you can't do any of that freakishness here...I won't have it!"

Harry felt Tonks stir next to him and knew she was wanting to hex Vernon into next week. The obnoxious man was saved from her wrath by a screech owl swooping into the kitchen to drop a large envelope at Harry's feet.

"I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE OWLS IN MY HOUSE!" Vernon bellowed, rising surprisingly quickly to chase the owl out of the kitchen. Harry ignored the ranting man to pick up the parchment as Petunia stormed into the room.

"More freak animals?" She demanded in her usual snobbish manner.

"It's only technical your house," Harry absently told his ranting uncle, his real focus on opening the thick envelope.

"What...what did you say?" Petunia whisper was laced with fear and her eyes bugged out in the same way her husband's were. Tonks frowned, confused and wondering if Harry realised what he was saying.

"I mean," Harry answered, reading the letter header to find that it did indeed come from the Ministry. "That mum bought you the house as a wedding gift but never actually handed over the deed."

Harry zoned the spluttering idiots out as he read:

 _Dear Mr Potter,_

 _We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm as well as a second, powerful, and as yet unknown Charm, at sixteen minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area._

So they didn't recognise the _Mortifer_ variation? Interesting.

 _The severity of this breach of the Decree for Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

"Well bugger," Harry mumbled, his head snapping up to shut off the ranting Dursleys. "Yes, I know all about it. I know all about my parents, your problems with them and how you stupidly let something like magic destroy your friendship with your only sister."

"DO NOT USE THAT FREAKISH WORD IN THIS HOUSE!" Vernon ranted while Petunia paled and collapsed into a chair.

Tonks didn't think Harry was really aware of how much he was saying. Her wand was out and ready in case the joke of an uncle tried anything but thankfully he seemed too afraid of Harry.

 _Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand._

"Too late for that," his whisper held tears but the only show of emotion came from the tightening hold on the parchment. He felt Tonks hand at his back in moral support.

 _As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks'_ ("Sexist Pigs." Tonks mentally grumbled) _Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 am. on the second of August._

 _Hoping you are well,_

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Mafalda Hopkirk._

 _Improper Use of Magic Office_

 _Ministry of Magic_

"Well ain't this peachy," Harry rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of how the letter ended. "We're going to take away your wand, have a nice day!"

"They're going to take away your...your stick?" Vernon looked like Christmas had come early and the demented grin he was now sporting had Tonks feel like she would never get clean.

"Only my official one," Harry shrugged after a moment. He had forgotten they were all in the same room. "But I also have this one."

His left arm extended and Melania's wand snapped out of its hidden holster. It tingled in his hand, not impressed that he was the wrong body, and Harry knew it wouldn't work as easily as it would if he changed.

Vernon didn't want to understand magic or anything to do with their sticks. But the one thing he _did_ know was the difference between official and unofficial, the same way his friend at their shooting range had a collection of unofficial guns at his home. Vernon Dursley looked at the soft glowing end of this new stick and never before had the comparison been so clear.

A loud CRACK of Apparition had Tonks carefully searching the room only to spot a stunned and distraught owl outside the kitchen window. Harry shrugged, holstered the wand and retrieved the fuzzy creature's letter. It was telling that Vernon had nothing to say about the appearance of more owls, and was instead calculating if he could get to the living room before Harry noticed.

"What...what is this all about?" Petunia finally brought herself to ask.

"Pet," Vernon hissed, fear turning the usually red face to pale white. "Don't."

"Dementors," Harry answered, not for a minute expecting any reaction. So he was in for a shock when his aunt gasped and quickly rose from her chair.

"That's it, Vernon," she immediately demanded. "We're moving. Go get our little Diddy and we'll find a hotel for the night. Let the freak have the house."

"Pet?" Vernon stared open-mouthed at his wife and Harry mirrored the look. Tonks was happy to note that the two men still looked nothing alike.

" _She_ used to speak of those creatures, Vernon," Petunia explained and it was only an invisible hand around the growling Harry's arm that kept him from saying anything to the lack of naming Lily. "I will not be here if those horrid things come anywhere close to _him_."

And with that she stormed out of the kitchen, quickly followed by a spluttering and confused Vernon. Tonks waited until she heard commotion in the master bedroom and then whipped off her cloak.

"Harry...?" She tried to ask only for him to look down at the new letter.

"I'm fine, Tonks. Absolutely fine," He lied. She let him get away with it and watched her friend with worried eyes, not realising they had slipped back into their native purple colouring. Harry scoffed at whatever he was reading and when he looked up, her eyes were the same chocolate brown they had been before. "By order of the Great Dumbledore, via Arthur Weasley, I am to stay here, be a good boy, not do any magic at all and don't give up my wand."

"What are you supposed to do?" She frowned, not understanding the orders. "You argue with the Ministry about handing over your wand and they arrest you. And how did they do this so quickly anyway? An underage magic alert usually takes days to process."

"Really, Tonks, I'm ashamed of you," Harry answered in a patronising tone. "Don't you know I'm a _special case_?"

She playfully growled at his smirk.

"Apparently Dumbledore is at the Ministry now trying to clear things up," he shrugged, looking around the kitchen as though seeing it for the first time. "It could all have been so different, Tonks."

"Living here?"

"Yeah," he swallowed hard against the feelings of regret at what could have been. "Mum's journal talked about how close they used to be until she learnt she was a witch. It ripped them apart."

"It happens to us too, Harry," She told him softly, slipping into one of the discarded chairs. "Squibs are born to a magical family and treated like crap. Look at mum; disowned because she married a man she loved."

"It's not right," he demanded, Though whether he was talking of Andromeda, the situation in general, or his past was not clear. "It shouldn't be like this."

She didn't know what to say to help him. Her heart ached at the pain she was seeing. Harry rarely allowed his true emotions to shine through and she always felt honoured and unworthy when he did around her. The crazy elf Kreacher had been more right than anyone knew when he called Harry Potter a mask.

Their silence was broken by the arrival of a third owl and Harry was ready to turn the next one that came fluttering through the window into a pillow. This new letter had him scoffing in disbelief.

"Can you believe it?" He rhetorically asked with a shake of the head. "According to this, Dumbledore has talked them into letting me keep my wand and even turned it from expulsion into suspension until the actual hearing. Whoop-de-doo!"

She couldn't help but laugh at his exaggerated enthusiasm to the change in circumstances. "So what's the plan, hot stuff?"

"Can you magic-pack for me?" He asked in full seriousness. "I think it's time I blew this joint and rejoined the land of the magic and homicidal spirits."

"And that's only at Hogwarts and headquarters!" She giggled.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Sirius Black was losing his ever-loving mind. Granted, after his time in Azkaban, he didn't have much of it left to lose but it was the principle of the thing. And he was losing that too!

Arthur Weasley had Floo-called in to say that the Improper Use of Magic Department was in uproar after expelling Harry for underage magic. When the details came through that it had been for a Patronus Charm, it had taken Remus and all three of those traitorous elves to keep him from charging out of his childhood home and race to Harry's side.

Someone had dared to send Dementors after his child!

Dumbledore had decided to swoop in and save the day. Yet it seemed the mysterious and, officially dark spell Harry had cast was building into its own political shit-storm. Sirius scoffed at _that_ idiocy. He didn't know what spell Harry would have used but who in their right mind thought his pup had the time to throw dark spells around when he was casting a Patronus at the same time?

Scratch that. There were very few people working at the Ministry who were in their right minds. Or had any working minds to begin with.

At the moment he was officially locked in the Black Study in order to calm down while everyone ran around with their heads cut off. Unofficially he was waiting on his mirror to ring so he could find out what the bloody well happened. Luckily Remus was his 'guard'.

"Dora is with him, Pad," Moony promised yet again. It didn't help before, it wasn't helping now. All Sirius could think about was the horrors he had suffered at the hands of the Dementors and what they could have done to his child.

"I know," Sirius nodded as he paced. "I know that, I do. I know it. But Moony it's Dementors. _DEMENTORS_!"

Before his best friend in the world could answer there was a rumble from the desk as the mirror's vibrate mode went off. The two men scrambled to reach it.

"Prongslet!" They cried out at the same time.

"Hey you two, what's cooking?" A cheekily grinning Harry appeared. Remus frowned at the sight of items floating behind his cub.

"Harry, you're not supposed to use magic."

"Hush yourself, Wolfie," a familiar voice chirped up from somewhere behind Harry. "He's a teenage boy and doesn't know a thing about packing."

"Packing?" Sirius asked as Moony breathed a sigh of relief. The Animagus Marauder pushed the werewolf Marauder out of the way so he could see the screen better only to be pushed back so the werewolf could see anything at all.

"Children, behave," Harry called out before the two could get into a pushing match.

"Sorry, pup," Sirius smiled sheepishly. "I'm just so happy to see you're okay. Tell me what happened."

"Not here," Harry said, frowning at something that caught his attention off mirror. His features then shifted and a beautiful young woman was in his place. "Warm up the fires and put the tea on, dad, I'm coming home."

The mirror's connection went silent and the two men were looking at their own reflections. Sirius' face was white as a sheet and there were tears filling his grey eyes.

"She...she called me dad..." He whispered, relief and other, deeper emotions, breaking free to force him to his knees. Moony went with his closest friend and held on as the man finally allowed himself to lose control. "My daughter's coming home...She called me dad..."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Tonks convinced Harry to fly to their destination rather than be Apparated, something Harry was more than willing to do. Apparently it was an emergency escape route devised by the paranoid Mad-Eye which explained much about the complicated directions.

Hedwig hated any type of flying that wasn't her own wings but she was damned if she would leave her pet alone. She knew he needed her and that was enough.

Which was why a wizard that was also a witch, a metamorphmagus witch who could be anyone, and a snowy white owl contained safely in a golden cage, zoomed through the dark night skies on one of the fastest brooms ever made, piloted by one of the most natural flies ever born.

The strange trio landed at Grimmauld Place and immediately Harry was looking around in wonder, his eyes far away.

"Do you feel that?" He asked in awe. She watched him and was surprised when he kept looking towards where the house was hidden behind the Fidelius. Somehow Harry was drawn to its location even though he should have been confused by the powerful spell.

"You feel the wards?" She asked with a frown.

"I don't think so," Harry shook his head and walked forward, almost exactly in front of the door, and then turned off to the side as the Fidelius magic forced him away. "It's almost the same as when I hold her wand. Only really, really stronger."

"Bloody hell," Tonks gasped in realisation. The house was _welcoming_ Melania, and by extension Harry. Snapping out of her daze, she pulled out a scrap of paper and thrust it at him. "Read this."

 _The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

The Black home appeared between number eleven and twelve b, the magic behind the Charm making it seem as though it pushed the other two buildings aside in its proclamation of existence. The pair trundled up the smooth, polished steps to face the shiny black door. The knocker was in the shape of a raven with a snake curled over what would be the bird's shoulders. Harry smiled at the symbolism and chuckled when the snake moved.

Apparently the movement was new since Tonks. She was raising her wand to tap on the door and jumped back with a squeak when the snake shifted.

 _{{"Can you open for us, please?"}}_ Harry asked in Parseltongue. The snake nodded and pulled back to nuzzle against the still unmoving raven. What followed was the sound of loud, heavy locks clicking and then the door smoothly swung open.

" _Please_ don't do that again without warning me," she shuddered, still staring at the knocker in revulsion. "That was freaky."

"Whoops?" He offered with a lopsided grin, entering the house with Hedwig's cage in hand. She growled something unladylike and followed with his trunk and broom.

The house was subtly lit with gas lamps and the royal blue walls gave the front hall an easy, almost lazy feel. Harry assumed it was because of how late it was that the house was so quiet.

"Mum couldn't believe it when she first saw the place," Tonks whispered as she put down his belongings. "She said it's completely different from what it was like when she was growing up."

A door off to the side opened and out came a much relieved Sirius and Remus. They both smiled at the same moment and waved the two tired friends into the library. The moment the door closed Harry found himself engulfed into a huge bear-hug from Sirius.

"I was so worried, pup," He said in a weak voice.

"I'm here now," Harry promised.

The four sat down and Harry immediately went into describing the attack and by the end Moony was shaking his head in amazement.

"Dead Dementors. Only you, cub."

"That's going to be a problem," Sirius frowned, leaning back in his chair. Deep inside, where the horrors of his time in Azkaban were kept locked up, he jumped for joy at hearing of their demise. "There are only two ways those monsters could have gone after you; Riddle, which means he wouldn't want to announce the fact he lost them, or the Ministry, who might try to make it sound like extremely dark magic."

"They aren't the ones the Dementors want to Kiss," Harry scoffed. When the others agreed, he shook his head at their misunderstanding. "No, I mean literally. The Dementors were made to target the Potter and Black blood."

Which was technically true if not the entire story.

The three stared at him and Sirius shuddered away the news. "That won't help either. I think it's best we talk to Andi to see if Ted can be your solicitor."

"Dad?" Tonks' eyes widened. She looked at Harry and was surprised to see him smirking.

"It makes perfect sense, Tonks. It's a Family situation this way," he said, instantly liking the idea. His eyes sparkled with mischief. "The Ministry either lost control of Dementors or sent them after the Scion of a Noble and Most Ancient House and a member of said House."

"When did you work all this out?" She demanded to know.

"When we were flying here," Harry shrugged as though it should have been obvious. "I do my best thinking on a broom."

"Do you still plan on taking your early emancipation, cub?" Remus asked before Tonks could go into a rant.

"Absolutely," he nodded, fiercely. "And I'll do the same with Melania. I...I don't know how long I can keep being Harry. Especially here. I can feel the magic of the house demanding me to change."

"I was worried about that," Sirius confessed with a wince that had three glares sent his way. "Melania is my heir and House Black has no Head right now. Since I refused the position, it's trying to force you into taking up the ring."

"Harry might have to disappear after the trial," Harry told them as he rubbed his tired eyes. "But first, he needs to do a few things."

The three adults eyed each other carefully. They had each suspected Harry of having plans since the horrible night of the third task, he had been far too focused and close-lipped for their liking.

"I want Neville allowed access to the house," he continued. "Whatever happens to Harry Potter, the Longbottoms need allies."

"Pup, I know he's your friend."

"There really is a prophecy, Padfoot. Riddle said one of his underlings heard about it and warned him," Harry opened his eyes and they were filled with painful memories. "We were right."

"I'll talk to Madam Bones," Tonks immediately declared. "Maybe she can find out something from the Unspeakables."

"Are you going to tell your friends?" Remus asked, pointing out the hippogriff in the room.

"Not unless I absolutely have to," Harry sighed, wincing as the magic pressed down on him to bring out Melania. A series of pops caught their attention and they all looked around to see three excited elves.

"Little master is here!" Winky bounced happily in place only to then frown. "Why is little master not Mistress Melania?"

"Kreacher's Half-blood will take mask off soon. Oh yes, Kreacher's Half-blood make Blacks great again."

"Master Harry Potter sir bes NOT Kreacher's! He bes Dobby's great and wonderful Master Harry Potter sir!" Dobby shrieked, tugging hard on his sockless ear.

"But what of Mistress Melania?" Winky cried. "Winky bes making room for Mistress with all her lovely clothes and now they not bes worn."

"Kreacher's Half-blood!" The Black elf screamed. "Kreacher's Half-blood no matter what Half-blood look like."

"Dobby's Master Harry Potter sir!"

Dobby jumped on his rival and the two elves tussled on the ground before Kreacher popped away.

"Bad Kreacher!" Dobby shouted to the air and popped after his nemesis to leave a shocked group of humans and a still crying Winky.

"Something you forgot to tell me, Padfoot? Moony?" Harry asked, completely mystified over what happened.

"News to us, cub," Remus promised and Sirius nodded his agreement.

"Winky miss Mistress Melania," The remaining elf sniffled before also vanishing.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _24th July, 1994_

A man that was both more and less than a man sat, partially slumped, in a throne-like chair. Around his chest and left shoulder were blood-stained bandages that kept magical paste pressed tightly to the still healing wound from a _Reducto_. The spell had blasted clear through his body and it was only the dark magic of the form's birth that kept it alive.

"Tell me what you have found, Severus," Lord Voldemort demanded of his kneeling servant.

"I have been through that night as carefully as possible, my Lord," Severus Snape answered. It was true. He had used his superior Legilimency to rip the memory out of Wormtail's mind more than once. If he took a little longer and made it more painful than it needed to be...well the rat shouldn't have betrayed Lily. "I believe I have the answers you seek."

"Explain."

"The three key ingredients of that night were there, my Lord, and the first was the least possible to get wrong," Severus paused, his head bowed, and it took a hissed command to continue before he carried on. "However I have studied what happened next. The ritual called for flesh willingly given."

"Indeed," Voldemort sneered in disgust. "Are you saying I made a mistake in my servant, Severus?"

"Not you, my Lord. But there is a moment where the rat hesitates," Severus explained quickly so not to feel the caress of a Crucio. "As you know, magic can be as much about intent as actual circumstances."

"And you believe our _fearless_ rat was not faithful enough in his offering?"

"Knowing the man as I do, I believe it is highly probably," the Potions Master paused, unsure as to whether he should continue.

"There is more. Is there not, my loyal servant?"

"There is, my Lord," Snape swallowed behind his mask, not enjoying the deliberate comparison between himself and the rat. "The third part of the ritual also needed specifics."

"The blood of my enemy, unwillingly taken, to prove my superiority over him."

"Indeed. However the brat appears to have suffered, at least temporarily, some form of insanity. It could have been a desire for death, my Lord, or perhaps a desire for you to end his suffering and have him meet his parents in the afterlife. But whatever caused it, he actually dared Pettigrew to take his blood."

"Ah..." The snake-like hiss of a breath slivered into Severus' bones and he fought not to shudder. "Rather than the blood being of a conquered foe, proving my strength, it was of one challenging my right as his better."

"Yes, my Lord," And how Dumbledore had been surprised about _that_ turn of events. Severus felt himself pulled between two manipulative masters and, for the first time, was wondering how to break free of both.

"Tell me, am I in danger?" The threat at the wrong answer evident in the question.

"No, my Lord. Regardless of which, or both, parts changed the ritual, you are as magically powerful as you ever were."

"And thisss body?" The anger and pain forcing the feared Dark Lord into almost speaking Parseltongue.

"A part of your magic is making up for the difference. Aside from the slow healing, I can detect no other negative effects," the promise was given. The man hoped that the being in front of him believed it.

"There are always other rituals to aid in that," Voldemort said as though it wasn't a blight on his image. "And what of our dear Lucius? Is he still dying?"

"Unfortunately so, my Lord," Severus confessed, taking the brave act to look up at his Master. "I have done all I can but his body and magic waste away faster than I have ever heard of."

"How is this possible?" Voldemort demanded with a snarl, pushing himself to his bare feet to stalk in front of the throne. That the steps taken weren't as powerful or as steady as they might have been was ignored by both. "What is it with these blasted Potters and their access to the Old Magics?"

There was nothing that Severus could safely say so he made sure not to do anything than might be considered a response.

"And our little Crouch? Dead to the boy's spell, one even I had never seen before. It is not goblin magic so that half-breed Professor could not have taught him it."

Voldemort had not been happy to learn of Harry being taken under the wing of the former Duelling Master. Suddenly the pale body stopped its restless strides directly in front of the still kneeling man.

"I need a new wand, Severus," the confession was given in disgust, as though it was an affront to the being's greatness.

"My Lord?"

"That...event in the cemetery. My wand grows weaker each time I cast. As though the very thing is dying," this had Severus blinking behind his mask. It was something he had never heard of and wondered if the Potter boy had noticed any changes in his own wand. "I need one fitting to a man of my power, not something lying around the joke of a shop Ollivander owns."

"Mykew Gregorovitch?" Severus proposed after a moment of deliberation. "Retired now, but I am sure he would be honoured to make you the wand that best suited your majesty, my Lord."

"Gregorovitch?" Voldemort mused. "Yesss, he will do wonderfully. An excellent suggestion, Severus. You are, as always, my most loyal servant."

.

.

oOoOo


	20. Trial By Fire, Part 1

**AN: Part 1 of 3. Enjoy these last three chapters, they're the last before Melania fully takes over (I know, I know, it's take longer than you'd thought way back at the start).**

 **shugokage - Thank you.**

 **ShadowofAxios - I can promise you this. There will be a LOT of Dumbledore going nuts over Harry's location once the summer is over.**

 **thekingofsweden1 - Thanks. The death of the brother wands has been part of the plan from the beginning.**

 **lynxreader - Many thanks for pointing out the errors. I'm usually much better at spotting the majority of them than I was last chapter.**

 **TheConstellation - I had completely forgotten that part of Seasons of Changer. Yes, his form is a Liger, but no it's not because of that lovely story. The wings/snake-like teeth are from his blood and the Liger itself is a representative of Harry in Hogwarts. Strong, powerful, seen to be different than the rest and ultimately not as physically healthy as those around him.**

 **cornholio4 - You'll have to wait a little longer than that for Fudge but it won't be as late as canon.**

* * *

Trial by Fire and take a bow, Melania Black. Part 1

 _24th July, 1995 – Black House_

Harry woke in a strange yet comfortable room and it took him a few minutes to remember where he was and why. Unfortunately it also took the same amount of time for the magic of the house to start pressing in on his mind, demanding that he change forms.

He groaned as he dragged himself out of the best bed he had ever slept in. The magic was calling to him, enticing him to become Melania, and the fact that he _wanted_ to threatened his self control even more. The trouble being that he had far too much to do as Harry before he could give himself over to her life.

Harry had a feeling that the house would claim Melania as tightly as she was going to claim it once it had the opportunity. _Best not do it in the house unless I absolutely have to._ He thought.

There were already clothes laid out on the bedside chair and Harry smiled when he saw them. It was nice being taken care of. The good feeling was instantly broken when shouts rose up from downstairs and he rushed to find out what was going on.

A dressed Harry, with hair even more dishevelled than usual, found the two Marauders fighting to finishing closing a curtain. The abusive and somewhat creative screams appeared to be coming from behind the cloth and Harry raised an eyebrow when he was noticed.

"My mother," Sirius explained and Harry made a silent 'ah' as he remembered Tonks' rants about the vile painting. Suddenly a vial was launched his way and Harry's Seeker reflexes kicked in. He glared at the smirking Remus.

"A headache potion," the former DADA Professor explained. "We'll have to space them out so there's no chance of addiction, but they should make it a little easier for you."

Harry downed the vial instantly and immediately Kreacher popped in to take it from him. Only for Dobby to appear and steal it out of the Black elf's hands and vanish. Kreacher growled something disturbingly violent and followed.

"I see they're still at it," he said with amusement. Sirius could only shake his head at the absurdity of the situation.

"Only you, pup, only you."

The three were smiling as they entered the kitchen, Harry's growing when he saw Tonks. There was a very healthy amount of food in front of her and she smirked when she saw the way everyone reacted to his presence.

"Hey, Sirius?" He asked innocently as he took a chair at the table. Winky quickly, and still somewhat glumly, served him breakfast. He gave her a grateful smile and nod, only for the elf to quietly sniff, obviously still disappointed at who he was.

"Yeah, Harry?" Sirius played along as the two men took their own seats, both much more eagerly served by the female elf. Though Harry was sure she gave his godfather a disapproving look at the extra bacon his plate included.

"Do I have something in my hair?"

That was as far as Harry could get before a bushy-haired missile knocked him clear off his chair and onto the floor. Tonks burst into wild laughter that had her slipping off her own seat. And then there was nothing but chaos.

"HARRY! What are you doing here? Why are you here? I thought you were at the Dursleys? When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me? Are you okay? I heard about the Dementors, it's horrible! You must have been so afraid. What are you going to do about the hearing?"

On and on the questions came in their Hermione spitfire rate. It needed a grinning Remus to reach down and lift her up off the laughing Harry before she realised what she was doing.

"Oh...sorry. Um...morning?" She stammered, blushing profusely at her reaction.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, young man?" The powerful, if annoying, voice of Molly Weasley demanded to know. It immediately wilted all the humour out of the moment. "You were supposed to stay where you were until Professor Dumbledore felt it was time to leave."

"Really?" Harry asked in a frighteningly cold voice as he rose to his feet. The Weasley matriarch pulled up short at the look of disgust the boy she considered another son was giving her. "And tell me, Mrs. Weasley. Why was it the Professor's place to decide that for me?"

"Hey. Don't talk to my mum like that," the other annoying Weasley in the room demanded.

Harry ignored Ron with the ease of long practice, his powerful green gaze boring into his target. She gaped at him and answered the only way she could.

"He's Dumbledore..."

"Winky, I'll take my breakfast in the library," Harry announced the moment she fell back on the name as a reason for him to 'behave'. "Good morning, everyone."

The twins and Ginny wished him a good morning as he stormed from the kitchen, Winky's snap of her fingers already sending the plate to its new destination. Hermione took one look at Molly, rage marring her usually respectful features, and ran after Harry, determined to find out what was going on with her best friend.

"Well that could have gone better," Remus understatement had many cringing as he returned to his chair to enjoy his morning coffee. "You don't think you could have said hello before laying into him, Molly?"

"Dumbledore said..."

"We know what Dumbledore said," Sirius spat through gritted teeth. The Animagus leaned forward over his plate to glare daggers at the woman. "The problem with what _Dumbledore said_ is that Harry and Tonks had been attacked by bloody Dementors. He didn't feel safe where he was."

"But..."

"Dumbledore planned to bring Harry here eventually, yes?" Remus asked, derailing the argument before either could get into their stride. Sirius was growling and the werewolf suspected a grim would soon be appearing if he didn't help his friend out. "So what's so different about him being here now compared to when Dumbledore decides? The house is protected, his family and friends are here."

The twins glared dangerously at Ron, clearing informing their brother that he was considered neither of those.

"And you _did_ read the Quibbler articles about what those Muggles did to him, didn't you, Mrs. Weasley?" Tonks threw herself into the conversation, angry at seeing the joy disappear off Harry's face. Her heart had swelled at the sheer happiness she had seen, only to break when it faded away. The Weasley mother had the good graces to blush with embarrassment.

"I thought they were exaggerated."

"Believe me," Sirius told the room, his voice was as devoid of emotion as his eyes were full with righteous anger. "Every single detail was accurate."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Hermione had raced after Harry, desperately needing to make sure he was okay. To her chagrin, he remained tight-lipped while calmly eating his breakfast and she watched every mouthful with wringing hands.

"'Mione," he finally broke the silence as he wiped his mouth clean of juices. Dobby had already popped in and out to take the plate away and bring them drinks. "Why did I go to the Dursleys this year?"

"It's where you live," she automatically answered, only to frown at his disappointed sigh.

"So this place is a mirage?" He asked with a wave of the hand to indicate the house around them.

"But you haven't been here before."

"I haven't," He admitted, lifting his glasses so he could pinch his nose as the pressure behind his eyes increased. He had grown to despise wearing the unneeded item. It was one more sign of how much of a mask Harry Potter had become. "But I've known about it since last year. The plan was always for me to come here this summer and start living with Sirius."

"So why didn't you?" Hermione's confusion deepened as she tried to see the layers behind what he was telling her.

"Because of Dumbledore. Don't give me that look, you know what the Dursleys are like. He put this place under a Fidelius, never bothered to tell me the secret, and forced me back there with nothing more than guards to watch me night and day. It took Tonks having to somehow steal Mad-Eye's note to give me the chance of coming here before the great Dumbledore was ready."

"But wasn't it to keep you safe?" She countered with the explanation that those in the Order had been given.

Harry could tell she had been thinking it over and it was obvious that actual events were clashing with the girl's inbuilt respect for authority figures. He suddenly realised how distant they had grown since the Yule Ball. He had thrown himself so deeply into his training that he had barely shared anything personal with the girl since.

"And his reason for me staying there after yesterday? And you can't argue safety after Tonks and I had to fight of Dementors."

"I don't know, Harry," She whimpered. Hermione never worked well with confusion, the very act of not knowing an answer physically and emotionally hurt her. He knew he was once again challenging her internal belief system.

"Neither do I, but I can tell you it doesn't make sense." Harry's tone softened and he sighed, exhausted despite only recently waking up. "This house is under a Fidelius, Order members come in and out and there are any number of nasty wards set up by the previous Blacks."

"And the Dursleys are are a Muggle house full of horrible people," she concluded, easily following his point.

Harry waved his hand as though to say 'there you go' and got up to browse through the shelves.

"You really don't like the Professor, do you?" She asked him as she rose to follow. "You argue with him all the time."

"He asked you not to tell me anything, didn't he?" Harry countered, still hunting through book titles. Sometimes he would find a potential answer and pull the book loose only to be disappointed in the list of contents. He didn't turn to see her nod, knowing instantly through long practice when she had done so. "He told the guards to stay invisible and make sure I didn't know they were there."

"For safety," Hermione answered in a voice filled with uncertainty and inner disbelief. "With You-Know-Who out there, we don't know what could happen. The owls could be intercepted."

"A reasonable answer," Harry absently said as he rifled through another book, only to force it back into its original spot in frustration. "And at the same time, it leaves me isolated from friends, family and information. I would be stuck in the dark until he decided it was time to bring me in from the cold."

"You really believe..." Hermione began to say only to get frustrated by Harry once again having to return an amazing book of magic to its place as though it was nothing. "Oh, for crying out loud, Harry! What is it you're looking for?"

Harry chuckled at her annoyance with the way he was handling the books. By silent consent they agreed to drop the subject of Dumbledore.

"Kreacher," he called, the Black elf appearing instantly. "I need any and all books about wand making, Kreacher. Can you get those for me?"

"Wand making?" Hermione's brow furrowed deeply at the strange topic.

"Kreacher be getting them for Nasty Master's Half-blood," the elf declared before popping away. Harry was continuously amazed at the affection that had replaced revulsion in the elf's titles of himself and Sirius.

"Why do you need information on wand making? That's a very detailed skill, Harry. Far beyond what people our age are capable of. You should go to Ollivander's and ask him your questions."

"I doubt he'll explain to me how to actually make a wand, 'Mione," Harry scoffed as he settled into one of the more comfortable chairs while he waited for Kreacher to return. "And that's what I need to know."

"Whatever for?" She demanded in that high-pitched commanding voice of hers. She dropped down on the nearest seat to his and gave her best answer-demanding glare.

"Because I need a wand? Why else would I want to make one?"

"Harry, please," she begged, tears not too far from filling her soft brown eyes. Harry realised he was in one of those moments that could define their friendship and the easy lie of a spare wand died on his tongue. He owed her at least a little honestly.

Slowly, painfully, Harry took out the small fragments of what remained of his wand's core.

"Oh, Merlin, Harry! I'm so sorry," Hermione cried, hands covering her mouth. She looked back and forth between his cupped hand and his eyes. "What happened?"

"You remember me telling you what happened when our wands connected that night?" She nodded with a jerk. "Something happened to my wand. It's been getting weaker ever since and it crumbled after I fought the Dementors."

"So why don't you go to Ollivander's and buy a new one?"

"I want a wand that will be a match for me no matter what."

"You're talking about the blood-bonding you talked about with Professor Flitwick," she immediately accused, her mood changing once again. "Harry, that's illegal."

"It's only frowned upon. Like many things, the Ministry rarely outright bans things that might be useful," a familiar voice from the door corrected. The teens looked over to see Sirius enter with a tight smile that screamed stress.

"How bad was it?" Harry asked, carefully putting the delicate feather back into his pocket.

"Much as you'd expect," his godfather answered as he walked closer. "She stormed off, taking Ron with her, and is no doubt on her way to inform the old man already."

"So we have a few hours. This evening at the most?" Harry sighed, rubbing his tempers as the house's magic battled the headache potion.

"Something like that."

"Until what?" Hermione's eyes narrowed and she looked between the two of them in desperate need of answers.

"Until Dumbledore shows up being all disappointed in me, disappointed in Tonks, and maybe tries to convince me to return to the Dursleys."

"You two are talking as though you're at war with him!" She shrieked and her hair crackled as her magic reacted to her emotional discomfort.

"No, Hermione," Sirius told her quickly, kneeling before the distraught girl in order to be at eye level. "We simply aren't sure that he has Harry's best intentions at heart. Not yet."

"You don't have to believe us," Harry added in a gentle voice. "Only keep an open mind. And maybe keep us from becoming paranoid idiots too."

"I can definitely do _that,_ " she told them firmly and the trio each had some type of smile or chuckle.

"Ted and Andromeda are here," Sirius turned to Harry while still holding Hermione's hands. "Dora has already left so it'll only be you and him this morning."

"No time like the present," Harry groaned and pulled himself off the too comfy chair. He spotted Hermione's questioning frown. "He's a solicitor. He's going to defend me at the hearing rather than rely on dumb luck and the truth."

"Especially with how that's helped _me,_ " Sirius snorted. Hermione couldn't disagree and looked at the books around her, wondering if there might be something in the legal tomes that could help.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Ted Tonks ended up being a sandy-haired man with just enough bulk to declare his relaxed outlook on life and food without moving into Vernon or Dudley territory. There was a brief hello and warm hug from Andromeda before the two could shake hands and disappear into the official Black Study.

"Now, Scion Potter," Ted began as he placed a solicitor's charmed writing kit on the table along with collection of self-filling quills. The writing kit was a linked quill and parchment that would write down everything said, allowing him to make specific notes and not worry on missing anything important. "I want you to know that I've already taken the magical oaths of my profession in front of Sirius. But I'm willing to do so again before we start."

"What are they, sir?" Harry had learned in primary school about solicitors having oaths and it didn't surprise him that there was a magical twist to the practice.

"Ted, please. And they state that everything and anything I learn will be kept strictly between us. They also say that I must represent you to the fullest extent of my abilities."

"Harry, then. I don't mean to be rude, Ted," Harry started, unsure how to phrase his concerns. "But there are a lot of different ways that people can learn things."

"You're right, Harry," Ted smiled, immediately liking the bright young man in front of him. Sometimes not even the bigger clients thought of this. "There are other, more powerful oaths, that will keep all the information I know protected from attempts to learn them. Veritaserum, that's a truth potion by the way, Legilimency, not even physical pain could force me to give up what I learn."

"They sound powerful," Harry gaped at Dora's father. He hadn't expected to hear of anything like this. Hoped but not expected.

"They are. And I usually don't like to use them unless there's a good reason..."

"What about for the future of the Black and Potter Families, the safety of the Black and Potter Families, and the potential manipulation of my life by Albus Dumbledore?" Harry spoke up in a Hermione-esque rush before his courage failed him. There was a sense of support radiating from the man that had Harry ache for what could have been.

To the credit of the extremely proud Hufflepuff, he sat back and studied his client with both a Solicitor's and his wife's Slytherin eye.

Harry Potter was young, in age if not experience, and by all accounts had not been able to rely on too many adults in his harsh life. Ted's lovely wife, Dromeda, had been apoplectic with Black fury after the well-written Quibbler articles detailing the boy's childhood. _He's cousin Jamie's boy!_ She had raged up and down their modest home. _He's Family!_

Despite the sadness at being disowned by her parents, the woman who had graced him with the joys of her love had continued to be a proud Black at heart. Ted had learned much over their years together about what it meant to be a Black. From the little his darling Dora could share, this boy had the potential to be exactly what the two powerful Families needed.

Ted Tonks realised he had been lost in his thoughts when Harry began to fidget and he forcefully brought his mind back to the present. Somewhere in his musings, he had decided on his actions, and drew his wand to give the Unbreakable Oaths of Silence.

The moment Ted was surrounded by the glow of magic to cement his oaths, Harry allowed himself to sag in the chair. The mask of a Pure-blood Scion fell away to reveal the worried and nervous teenager hiding beneath.

"Before we get into all that extra stuff," Ted said after putting his wand away. "Let's get talk about this mess of a hearing. I need to know everything that happened yesterday."

Harry nodded and waited until the good man in front of him had picked up one of the quills. Then came the retelling of his time with Dora, their walk and the attack. Ted's eyes widened when it came to the death of the two Dementors. But he was a professional and continued listening. Harry went all the way to the owls from the Ministry and Arthur Weasley and the decision to leave Privet Drive for good.

"Well this seems a ridiculously easy case of self-protection," Ted mused only to frown as he caught something in his notes. "What's this warning on your record?"

And so it was that Harry was forced to explain about his second summer and the chaos of his first experiences with Dobby. Said elf popped into the Black Study in tears, deathly afraid his stunt had caused this entire problem for his great Master Harry Potter sir. Harry quickly dropped to his knees and hugged the wailing elf.

"Dobby, don't be silly," he told his friend with a gentle rebuke. "If you hadn't come to me, I wouldn't have got to know you. I wouldn't have been able to free you and we wouldn't be together as friends today."

"Master Harry Potter sir..." The elf sniffled as Ted looked on with amusement. "Truly, truly bes seeing Dobby as his friend?"

"I do, Dobs," Harry smiled as they looked at each other. "You, Winky, Kreacher, you're all my friends and as much my family as Sirius is."

Dobby seemed to swell up with pride. "Dobby bes never letting Harry Potter sir down!"

The elf vanished and Harry sheepishly retook his chair as Ted finally released the loud belly laugh he had been struggling to hold in.

"There's a story in that, I can smell it," he wolfishly grinned.

"Yep," Harry laughed back. Their two drinks of tea popped away to be replaced with new cups, a fresh pot, a perfectly chilled glass of grape juice and even a bottle of Firewhiskey with glass at the ready. The two blinked at the new refreshments and Harry groaned at Dobby's enthusiasm.

"Oh, a story for sure," Ted chuckled at the blush spreading over Harry's cheeks. He poured them out new cups of tea and turned serious. "Even not accounting for it being Dobby's magic, your home-life with those people make it a case of extenuating circumstances. We could probably get that stricken from your record."

"That would be nice."

"Hmm... What worries me though is this spell. I need to know everything about it if we're going to defeat it's label of Dark Magic."

Harry took a few minutes to think over the best way of explaining what he had learned from the _Potter_ _Book_.

"Way back in the very start of our Houses," he began, looking off into the distance. He didn't seeing the raised eyebrow at the casual idea of Ted being a Black. "The man who got them together had a son. A son that was very jealous of his fame and wanted to prove himself better."

"Alas it is a typical story in families," Ted sighed and Harry shrugged. It wasn't something he had seen first-hand.

"It was the son who created the Dementors from Lethifolds. The son made it so that Dementors would always go after his father and our Families. There was already the Patronus Charm to fight the Lethifolds so the man manipulated the spell enough to be able to kill the new creatures. It's been a part of the Potters Grimoire ever since."

Ted whistled softly and then shook his head in a firm manner. "No, that will never do. It could easily be twisted to make it sound like the Houses were so dark, the Dementors were needed to keep them in check."

Harry paled at _that_ take of the story getting published by Rita Skeeter.

"I don't want anyone else knowing of what you've just told me unless you can one-hundred percent trust them. Okay, Harry?" The firm glare was enough for Harry to agree. "Good. We'll go with a member of the Potter House, so long ago now that the name isn't remembered, was affected by Dementors far more than normal. Yes, that will work. An ancient spell by this unknown Potter you found after the problems you had last year."

"You know about last year?" Harry gaped and Ted chuckled.

"I've had a month to get to know your godfather," was the explanation. "Sirius is very proud of how you handled yourself in the entire mess."

At the mention of Sirius, Harry deflated and ran his hands through his still scruffy hair. Ted watched the change in attitude of his client with concern. Usually this type of switch preceded news that would, at the very least, make his day interesting.

Slowly, nervously, Harry began carefully explaining the nature of his birth and his real identity. He finished with a brief overview of the battle against Riddle in order to talk about the James Potter's words.

Ted had, by the end, poured a small measure of Firewhiskey and forced it into Harry's hands. The boy swallowed the shot, coughed at his first burn of alcohol, and waited for the reaction.

"I think you know my suspicions," Ted spoke carefully, watching Harry carefully. "I think they're your suspicions as well."

"He made it so that I would grow up as their child," Harry sighed, gripping the empty glass tightly. His stomach warmed up at the drink and he wondered if this was why people drank it.

"I assume the reason you told me this is because you're thinking of making the change permanently?"

"This house..." Harry said, looking around the room in part wonder and part fear. "This house calls to Melania. And it..."

"The real reason, please," Ted interrupted with a far too good impersonation of his wife.

"She's me," Harry admitted with a heavy drop of the shoulders. "I feel more comfortable as her. The body, the clothes, the way I act. I feel _free_ as Melania when Harry makes me feel constrained. Kreacher says its a mask and it really feels like that now."

"She'll have to go to Hogwarts," Ted was thinking the situation over carefully, looking at it from all angles as he had been trained. "At least until she has OWLS. She'll be seeing Harry's friends, talking to Harry's friends."

"I'll learn."

"She'll need a new birthday," he continued, half thinking aloud, half talking to Harry. "If Harry Potter disappears, we don't want Melania Black to have the same birthday. It'll be too much of a coincidence as it is."

"27th March," Harry said without a moments hesitation. At the surprised look, he explained. "James' birthday."

"That will do just fine, Harry. I'll get the paperwork from Sirius and start carefully crafting a suitable backstory for her."

Harry sagged with relief and gratitude, the tension flooding out of him. He was about to stand when the next question sent his eyes wide in shock.

"I would like your permission to share this with Dromeda."

"What...why? You said..."

"I'm assuming Dora knows?" Harry managed a jerky nod as he collapsed back in the chair. "My wife is a Master Healer, Harry. She will have questions I wouldn't even think of asking and if your change is because of a metamorphmagus ability...well, she knows all about how that affects the body with our Dora."

Harry's eyes clenched shut as the rational explanation tore apart his panic.

"And not only that, I'm under the impression she was always Sirius' favourite cousin. Who else would he rely on to look after his daughter than her?"

"Legal guardians?" Harry's whisper was so low Ted barely heard it. The masks had completely fallen and the Avada eyes shone with the need to have someone want him simply for being who he was, not for what he represented.

"Sirius told me your birthday plans," Ted confessed in a gentle tone. "So it wouldn't mean too much after this month but yes."

The emotions broke Harry's control and the house's magic pounced on the opening. Ted Tonks became only the fourth living person to see Harry melt away to reveal the young girl inside.

The solicitor had a moment to see the similarities of the girl with his wife and daughter before he was having to comfort a crying female. Ted held Melania and used every trick he had learned. The slender girl shook from relief and from long buried pain, and he made sympathetic noises so that she knew she wasn't alone.

Gradually the tears dried and Melania sheepishly pulled away.

"I must look a right mess, uncle Ted," she sniffed. He pulled out a silk handkerchief and dabbed at her moist cheeks.

"Not at all, little one," he smiled, liking the label she had given him. "I have plenty of stories to tell about Dora's crying sessions."

"I can imagine," Melania giggled then frowned, giving her clothes a pinch and pull in places. "I hate having to stay in Harry's clothes after changing. They never fit right."

Ted was astounded at the change in personality. A person shifting forms was easy for a man who had a metamorphmagus as a daughter, but the shift in attitude and mannerisms were shocking. Melania giggled again when she read the look.

"It surprised dad and uncle Moony too," Melania grinned a look that was pure Sirius. "Dora and the Grey Lady helped teach me how to be, well, me. They got to see this happen rather than the end results."

She elegantly shrugged and then frowned up at the ceiling.

"Bloody Black magic," she grumbled, fingers twitching as though to reach for something. She seemed to fade into what she was hearing and her voice came as though from far away. "It wants me to claim ownership. The magic is singing. You should hear it. I think you'll have to tell aunt Andi."

"Will you claim the house?" Ted asked, a little louder than normal in order to focus the young woman.

"Eventually," Melania turned to Ted and blinked until she lost the glazed look. "It's better that Dumbledore believes he has control over the place right now. We need to surprise him when he can't retaliate."

It took far longer than expected for Melania to change back into Harry. Every time she tried, the comfort of her body and the sheer sense of being _home_ would distract her. In the end it was not wanting to face Hermione as Melania that gave her the discipline to become Harry.

The Study was a side room off the library and, as Harry opened the Study door, he was faced with the sight of two elves waiting. Winky was beaming in happiness, a smile that melted as she saw it was Harry and not her Mistress Melania who exited the room. _She must have sensed my change_. Harry thought. Before he could say anything, Winky vanished in a louder than usual pop.

"Kreacher told off Dobby," the remaining elf announced with pride. "Kreacher telling Dobby that elfs do not be entering Black Study unless called by Nasty Master or Nasty Master's Half-blood."

"Kreacher, behave," Andromeda called from her chair where she sat talking with Sirius and Hermione.

"Of course, Mistress Dromeda," Kreacher bowed without looking back at the woman. "Kreacher only be teaching Nasty Master's Half-blood..."

"Kreacher."

"...how a Black elf should be. Not be Mistress Dromeda's fault Nasty Master's Half-blood..."

"Kreacher!"

"...be not knowing to send bad Dobby to Kreacher for discipline. Oh no, it be all silly Half-blood's fault."

It was only a grinning Harry and Ted who saw the smirk of victory on Kreacher's face when she failed to correct him for the third time.

"But Kreacher be having important news," the elf declared after a moment's pause. "Kreacher be doing what Half-blood Master ask and be collecting all books. Kreacher now be going to laugh in corner at Half-blood thinking he can make wand worthy of House Black."

"KREACHER!"

The elf popped away with a wicked chuckle and the two men broke into hysterical laughter. Sirius had fallen off his chair and was rolling around the floor as Andromeda and Hermione looked on with displeasure.

"I mean, really," Andromeda said with a scowl. "What has gotten into that elf?"

"It's his way of showing he cares, Andi," Harry grinning foolishly as they made their way to the table. Ted was silently thanking the elf for the laughter and wondered if it wasn't a deliberate act after the emotional breakdown of his 'Half-blood Master'.

She huffed, eyeing the still giggling Sirius who was dragging himself back into the chair. "I think it has more to do with who his Master is."

"I don't know what you mean," Padfoot decried with far too much innocence.

"Hogwarts, fifth year," she said with narrowed eyes. "You charmed each door that led from a girls only room to strip away their outer clothing. It took a week for the teachers to de-spell every one."

"Oh yeah..." The Marauder smiled with a far off gleam in his grey eyes.

"You didn't!" Hermione shrieked, imagining the terrible twins doing the same.

"He bloody did," Ted chuckled only to put on a professional face at the glare from his wife. "Anyway, Sirius, I'd like to speak to you privately. You have some papers I'll need."

Sirius looked between Harry and the solicitor, and frowned with concern. At Harry's encouraging smile, weak as it was, he got up and followed Ted back into the Study. Andromeda looked at the retreating men with worry and then turned the same look towards Harry.

"How are you doing, Harry?"

"Better, Andi," he promised, taking a seat. "Much better. Hey, Hermione, I plan to visit Neville soon. Want to come with me?"

"I'd better not," his friend said a little subdued. It was then that he noticed the redness around her eyes. "We aren't together any more."

"Why ever not?" He cried out. He knew he hadn't been keeping up with there relationship as much as he should have but surely he would have noticed if they had split? "You two were cute together."

"Leave it be, Harry," Andromeda told him in a no nonsense tone. A pop announced Kreacher's arrival. "We've had a girl chat about it and she knows what needs to change."

Harry gave a shrug and then looked disappointingly towards the small pile of books Kreacher had found.

"Come on, you two," Andi demanded in a tone that refused any discussions. "I know how to research. Let's find what Harry needs to make his own wand."

When Harry gave her a shocked look, she arched the elegant eyebrow of all Black women.

"What? I might have been a Slytherin but the Hat thought about Ravenclaw."

And with that they delved into the Black books.

.

.

oOoOo


	21. Trial By Fire, Part 2

**AN: Part 2. A shout out to those of you who gave such detailed reviews and suggestions about Melania and Tonks having heirs/continuing the Potter and Black lines. Much appreciated.**

 **Madrigal-in-training - The Narcissa scene was moved from a different chapter to this. Your asking over her had me realise that I did need to show something before I had planned.**

 **thekingofsweden1 - Thanks. Ted is actually one of my most enjoyable smaller characters to write.**

 **harlequin320 - Winky likes Harry but she absolutely loves Melania and hates not having her Mistress around.**

 **cko2 - It's a fine line with characters that I think some readers are too quick to see as bashing when it's a fair attempt by a writer to show their negative sides.**

* * *

Trial by Fire Part 2

 _24th July, 1995 – Ministry of Magic_

Nymphadora Tonks walked through the Auror bullpen with a straight back and determined gleam in her eyes. She was followed by the usual quiet catcalls from the morons asking her to change her form for their amusement and pleasure. The brave idiots only got the courage for the calls when a superior was out of earshot. She ignored them with ease of long, painful practice and continued on her path towards Madam Bones' office. She had a friend to help and wouldn't be deterred.

Madam Amelia Bones, Department Head of the DMLE and Lady Bones to the Ancient House of Bones, was irate. Not only had the Scion to a Noble and Most Ancient House and one of her Aurors been ambushed by runaway Dementors, but that idiot Minister was bringing said Scion up on underage magic charges for saving their lives.

Her biggest issue was that the entire thing was technically legal. The only thing being broken by Fudge's actions was the spirit of the law, not its letter. The Minister appeared to be hiding behind the technicality with equal parts malice and glee. If she ever found out for sure the man had a hand in the attack, she'd string him up by his neck-tie and shove that disgusting green bowler somewhere painful.

The knock at her office door brought Amelia out of the far too enjoyable image and she shouted for the person to enter. It was a voice that warned anyone on the other side that she wasn't in the mood for disturbances.

"Morning, Boss," the pink-haired Auror announced herself as she entered the office with more fire and balls than some collogues twice her age.

"Morning, Tonks," The moment Amelia saw the family face, her wand was in hand and she was covering her office with privacy spells. The office had its own wards, its protections made it one of the safest places in the entire Ministry, but she only used those on special occasions. And even then only as boosters to her spells. If she was paranoid, it was what came with having Moody as a mentor. "How's Scion Potter?"

"Tired and pissed-off, ma'am," Tonks reported while falling naturally into parade rest. "Even more so when it was suggested he stay at the Muggles' place."

Amelia snorted at _that_ idea. She had been made aware of the Order's protection detail over the young man and thought the entire thing was arse-backwards. Dumbledore had only told her of the detail because of Tonks' part in it and she had played the part of appreciative civil servant to perfection. All the while getting far more detailed reports from her double-agents Kingsley and Tonks.

"I imagine so," She said, pulling off her monocle to rub at her already tired eye. Tonks didn't like the air of defeat hanging over her idol and wondered what else the woman was dealing with. "I can't do anything about the hearing, Auror. Fudge is pushing this hard and won't even listen to Dumbledore about this."

"Don't worry, Boss," The metamorph smirked while her eyes shone with pride. "He's got legal representation."

"Your father?" Eyebrows raised and the experienced woman was secretly cackling at the idea of what a scene that make; A Muggle-born solicitor representing the Scion of a Pure-blood house would certainly shake up the Wizengamot. Especially were he to win. Amelia immediately approved for that very reason. "That'll derail some of what our glorious leader is up to."

"Yep," Tonks bounced happily. She was so happy for her daddy. The case, as stupid as it was, would propel his reputation into the stratosphere.

"I need to know about this dark spell," the order immediately bringing the enthusiasm down and Tonks scoffed at the wording.

"It was bloody brilliant, ma'am, you should have seen it. It turned his Patronus into a right vicious thing that killed two of the nasty buggers. The other two ran home to mummy."

Amelia ignored the girl's enthusiastic description and focused on the facts. If there really was a spell that could actually _kill_ Dementors, then she needed a way of sharing the information. Hopefully before the paper pushers decided to ban it.

"Please don't tell me it's family magic." She almost begged the younger woman. "I could do with some of you knowing how to take those things down."

Tonks winced and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She knew that any 'interesting' spells Harry knew were from either the top-secret _Potter Book_ or the Black Library and her family was wildly known to keep their personal spells secret.

"I can ask?" She offered, hedging her bets. She was almost sure that it was a Potter spell and that Harry wouldn't mind giving it out to those he believed in. "He should at least be okay with teaching me and Kingsley. He trusts Kings, as much as the kid trusts anyone not family."

"I'll take that. You-Know-Who got the Dementors on side last time, we need a plan if he does it again."

Tonks nodded in agreement and continued to shuffle on the spot, clearly unsure how to continue her report.

"You have permission to speak freely, Auror."

"Harry mentioned something, Boss," the metamorphmagus carefully said, eyeing Madam Bones nervously. "Snake-face told him something that's not in the 'official' report."

The 'official' report being what Dumbledore knew happened while the 'official, official' report had the kidnapping being solely down to a now dead Azkaban fugitive. No mention of any resurrections in that one.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Amelia sighed with resignation, finally replacing her monocle to put on her business face.

"I know _I_ don't," Tonks grumbled and then blushed at the stern look from her supervisor. "Apparently there's a prophecy between Snake-face and Harry and...wait, you knew!"

Somehow Amelia hadn't been able to school her face quickly enough before her Auror picked up on her flinch. She mentally swore at her slip and silently promised herself a break to recharge. Once everything had actually settled down, of course.

"Unspeakable Croaker may have mentioned something along those lines, yes," she carefully admitted, knowing that the girl was asking on behalf of the Scion in question. "He even double-checked it after the debacle of the third task. It has the inscription 'S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D. Dark Lord and Harry Potter."

"Morgana..." Tonks gasped, her legs going weak and she hastily fell into the chair she'd been ignoring. "It's true. It's actually true and Dumbledore actually knew about it. Morgana."

"I'm sorry," Amelia told the young girl and she truly was. Whatever the orb said, it would could be nothing good for Harry Potter. As far as Amelia was concerned he'd paid more than enough in the struggle against You-Know-Who. "And speaking of this little bright spot, I have to ask. Have you kept anything from me about what the Order is up to?"

Tonks was still reeling from the confirmation of their biggest fears and barely caught the question. Her hair was cycling through various colours and even its length fluctuated as she tried focusing on what was being asked.

"Croaker's alarms have picked up some intruders near the Hall of Prophecies. We think it's Order members standing guard."

Tonks was shaking her head even before Madam Bones was finished.

"There's been talk about a guard rotation that was different from the Harry shifts but that's all I've heard. I would have warned you, Boss, I swear."

It was as Amelia had suspected. Dumbledore was playing the information close to the vest and she doubted even those on the guard roster were aware of what they were there for.

"There's no question your dad will get this hearing mess cleared up. As soon as it's over, I want Scion Potter to go down to the Hall of Prophecies." It was very much an order and not a request. "Everyone will be too excited about this circus show to realise what's happening. The sooner he gets that damn orb and we know what we're dealing with, the better."

Tonks could only agree and wondered how bad Harry's explosive reaction would be when he found out.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _25th July, 1995_

The woman who had once been the baby of the Black Sisters and who became wife to one of the most politically powerful men in the country had, finally, come full circle. Narcissa Malfoy looked around the kitchen belonging to her sister and could think of only one word to describe it. _Homely_. A description that could never have been laid at the feet of Malfoy Manor.

"Stop thinking so hard, Cissy," Andi interrupted Narcissa's thoughts with a cup of honeyed tea, dipped and swirled the exact way her sister liked it.

Andi slipped into her chair and waited. With her knees crossed and hands perfectly place, Narcissa thought her sister would look right at home in one of her social events.

Andromeda had far too much patience for the emotional exhausted Lady Malfoy and the younger woman sighed in defeat.

"It's a nice place you have, Andi. It suits you."

"Family first," Andromeda stated simply and Narcissa winced at the motto. It was one they had grown up with before love and family politics destroyed three best friends. "Jamie's boy and my Dora were attacked by Dementors on Tuesday."

"It wasn't the Dark Lord," Narcissa immediately promised, her blue eyes momentarily sparking with fear at the idea of the creatures on the loose.

"We didn't think it was. Not personal enough for that monster," Andromeda snarl of contempt caused Narcissa's heart to stutter at how similar the look was to Bellatrix. "We think it's Fudge's doing, especially with this stupid hearing that's been organised. What we can't work out is the why."

"I...I might be able to help with that," Narcissa offered, quickly taking up her tea so she wouldn't have to look at her sister. Andromeda leant forward to clasp the free hand and when she spoke, it was as though the years between them had fallen away.

"I'm not letting you stay here to pick your brains, Cissy. You're here because you're my sister who needs a place to stay. You don't have to tell me anything."

"I don't need a place to stay," Narcissa corrected after putting down the cup to hold her sister's hands. "I wanted out of there. I'd become a stranger in my own home."

Andromeda watched the emotions play over Narcissa's usually controlled face. She remembered the expressive and energetic girl from their childhood and wondered at what point one was replaced by the other.

"I asked Draco to go to Spain with me," Narcissa confessed. The words came in stunted bursts as though forced. "He wouldn't leave his father. They spent hours together. In his study, in the duelling room. Hours of tutoring."

Suddenly the mask completely shattered and Narcissa laughed at what she was describing. The sound was tinged with tears and a little madness as, for the first time in years, she was fully able to express herself.

"Do you know how crazy that is, Andi?" She rhetorically asked. "The fool spent almost no time with Draco since he started Hogwarts. Too many accidents. Too many embarrassments that not even Severus could cover up. And now? When he's so close to death, the fool hordes my son away from me."

Narcissa's wild mood drained away and something almost akin to fear replaced it before she dropped her head, face hidden by the fall of her long hair. It had lost its blonde streak and returned to the colour of her family.

"And the Dark Lord...that monster is in my home," A squeeze of the hands from Andromeda was gratefully returned. "He's taken an interest in Draco's training."

Andromeda hissed, partly in surprise, partly in fury at her nephew suffering at the madman's interests. Then her sister looked up and her breath hitched as she saw the silent tears.

"I tried, Andi. I begged Draco to come away with me. All he would say was it was Potter's fault. Potter's fault that his father was dying and that a Malfoy never walks away from an enemy."

And now Andromeda Tonks understood why Narcissa Malfoy had turned up at St. Mungo's during one of her late shifts requesting sanctuary. Andi didn't envy any mother watching her family disintegrate the way Narcissa's appeared to be.

Narcissa released her iron-grip on her sister's hands and leaned back. Dipsy, her elf, popped in with a silk napkin and a small Calming Drought.

"Thank you, Dipsy," she wiped at her eyes and face first, appearances being key, and only then took the potion. Andi waited for her to regain her composure by sipping at her own tea.

"Charis Black," Cissy said out of the blue and it took a few moments for Andromeda to place the name.

"Baby Charis, married into the Crouches?" Andi frowned as she remembered the tale.

Three daughters of the arrogant, and out-of-contention for Lord Black position, Arcturus the Elder. The first and last married into politically convenient members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight while the middle one had been blasted off the family tree for marrying out of love. It was a far too painful symmetry for Andromeda's own situation for the subject to be comfortable.

"When Grandfather saw that Lucius was 'supporting' Fudge, he called me for a small lecture."

"He did so love those," Andi smiled wistfully as she remembered sitting on Arcturus the Younger's knee and being told epic tales of family members. Not all were the happy type but that's the nature of a family like theirs.

"This one was a cautionary one," Narcissa explained, taking a sip of tea as though never having lost control of her emotions. Only the slight reddening of her eyes told otherwise. "Caspar Crouch was a mole. He was charged with gaining trust, learning information and eventually manoeuvring himself or his children closer to the central branch of the family."

"Why wasn't anything done? Great-Grandfather Sirius was even more ruthless than Grandfather."

"I asked Grandfather the exact same question," Cissy admitted with a slight smirk. She wondered how many people misunderstood her sister simply because she was a disowned Black. "He told me that Sirius knew before the marriage took place but that the Crouches weren't in the position to make a play for control."

"They had backers?" Andromeda took out her wand and with few movements had a cabinet open and a bottle of brandy floating towards them. She immediately added a splash to her tea in preparation of one of their family's darker stories.

"They did. Backers powerful enough to keep the Crouches balancing on the threat of financial ruin but never spirally into it."

"So financial strong or a big enough name that people were afraid of going against their wishes. The list of our enemies fitting that criteria isn't that long."

"Great-Grandfather Sirius agreed with you," Narcissa was proud of her sister's sharp mind. She was also thankful for being allowed to change the topic away from Draco. "He also suspected that it was being done through a middle-family."

"An even shorter list of those capable of doing that." Andromeda hummed as she sipped her drink, doing her best to come up with some names who could have been behind what she was hearing.

"Grandfather didn't go into specifics but told me that the trail eventually led to a purely neutral, middle-of-the-road family. A family with so many fingers in both sides of the political spectrum that everyone had dealings with them over something or another. There were some suspicions over whoever was behind _them_ , but there was an issue."

Andi growled at her sister when it was clear she wouldn't discuss what the issue actually was. The answering smirk only confirmed her thought. Andi had no doubt that their Grandfather did the exact same thing to Narcissa and that her sister was merely paying the frustration forward.

"The type of family you've described," Andromeda thought it through with a heavy sigh. "Means that it's almost impossible to find out who they're working for. That big of a reach means you can't tell who is part of which deal."

"Indeed, sister-dear," Cissy commended. The slight smile at the answer slipped away at the next part. "So Great-Grandfather Sirius did what any self-respecting Lord Black would do. He destroyed the family in question to make an example of them. Every business, every secret deal Lord Black knew or even suspect of, was either taken as our own or given to our allies until they were on the brink of obscurity. And that's when Great-Grandfather stopped. So that the family would forever know they were spared by his mercy."

Narcissa finished her tea and poured herself another from the warm pot. She had cut off the lesson at the exact point her Grandfather had and knew the frustration at trying to work out what the lecture had to do with Lucius. It had taken her far too long to connect the dots, something it appeared Andi didn't have to worry about.

"Fudge?" Andromeda gapped at her sister with an open mouth. "The neutral family were the Fudges?"

"And that," Narcissa emphasised with a point of the finger. "Is why Grandfather warned me about Lucius' dealings with the man. Once he became Minister, all evidence of what our family did to his vanished. Forgotten. And to top it off, we never found out who had funded the entire plan to begin with."

"Morgana..."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _30th July, 1995_

It was a peaceful walk for Harry as he made his way across the large grounds of Longbottom Manor. The small bank of greenhouses at the bottom of the garden were far enough away from the main building that he imaged it was an entirely different world for his friend.

Harry had met Neville's impressive Gran, Dowager Longbottom, when he came stumbling through the Floo. The woman had given a sniff that he recognised from Petunia's little clubs. It was an impressive sniff that conveyed a multitude of meanings, though mostly one of being unimpressed by what the sniffer had heard or seen. The stern and embarrassing moment had been lessened by the twinkling in the woman's experienced eyes. The very warm hug he had received upon climbing to his feet didn't hurt either.

An open invitation to Longbottom Manor was her gift once it was known what he had done to the late Crouch Junior.

The large home and beautiful grounds – Harry's fingers itched to find a plot that he could claim as his own – had him wondering over his own property. It seemed all the important families had Manors and the Potters would have been no exception. Yet could he really claim it since he was looking to give up being a Potter?

In order to distract himself from such depressing questions Harry thought over the confusion few days since his arrival at Grimmauld Place.

Much to everyone's surprise, and it was a close call whether Sirius or Molly were the most taken aback, Dumbledore had completely avoiding Harry. There had been no lectures over his leaving Privet Drive early, no disappointed sighs or looks in an attempt to make him feel guilty. There hadn't even been any inquiries over Harry's health from the aged wizard.

In fact, Dumbledore had only appeared at Grimmauld Place when there was an Order meeting and then vanished the moment it was over. Even _Snape_ had spent more time at the manor and there was still the unease between Potions Master and Marauders. The Professor had been sending curious glances towards Harry's right wrist where his wand holster was constantly strapped but never once asked a question. It had the teenager wondering if the man had somehow found out about the death of Harry's wand.

The avoidance of Harry by the Grand Poobah was the best thing for everyone once Harry had received the message from Madam Bones about the prophecy. To have confirmation over what seemed to be a driving influence of Dumbledore's actions and to know that the drunken words of one woman had set up his family for slaughter...it had sent Harry spiralling into the deep abyss of anger that constantly lived within.

The duelling room beneath Grimmauld had seen a huge workout that almost pushed him into complete magical exhaustion. It had only been a furious Andi storming up to him that had stopped Harry from hurting himself. She hadn't been angry over his rage. She'd been downright irate over him weakening himself rather than making his enemies do it.

 _You use your anger, Harry. You don't let it use you._ Had been the final message before she confiscated Melania's wand until she was satisfied he was calm enough to have it back.

Andromeda Tonks had been a godsend. The first time he had seen Sirius' cousin after talking with Ted had seen her giving him a single look. It had been there for only a heartbeat and then she simply continued to treat him exactly the same as before. The only outwards sign of anything being different was the constant stories detailing the history of the Blacks and a few, secretly done, spells to confirm his health. No fuss, no trying to make Harry talk about any of it. Merely checking him over and continuing on.

The same could not be said for Hermione. His friend had nosedived into the Black books to research everything she could on the legal procedures around underage hearings to find out exactly what could and couldn't be done to him. Harry didn't know how Ted coped with her coming at him with a new case or law that she had recently read about when it was his job to know the information.

The gentle man had shrugged when asked and gave a comment about her only trying to help. Harry came to understand that Hermione's natural worshipping of authority figures hadn't yet attached itself to Ted. She was only seeing him as a member of the family and not the expert solicitor he was.

Family...the idea brought to mind Harry's last issue. The Weasleys had fully moved into Grimmauld place now. As much as he enjoyed having the twins around, and maybe even Ginny since she appeared to have moved past the crush, the overbearing Molly and closeness of Ron was putting a strain on everyone. The woman refused to understand that the house wasn't the Burrow and so attempted to dictate everyone's movements. Ron's refusal to see himself as anything but the victim meant nothing would ever be healed between them.

Harry carefully nudged the door of the first greenhouse open and peaked in, smiling at seeing his brother in all but blood knee deep in compost. Neville was in his element and it lifted the watching teen's spirits.

"Hey, Neville," Harry called out. The boy looked up and blinked in confusion, his mind still somewhere in the dirt. As Neville came back to himself, he broke a huge smile when he recognised who it was that had disturbed him.

"Harry!" The Longbottom Scion rose quickly and rushed over, only to suddenly stop and frown at his dirt covered clothes. Harry laughed and pulled his brother into a huge hug, not caring a bit about getting messy.

"It's good seeing you, Nev," Harry told the taller boy with real feeling as they parted. "I've missed you this last month."

"Me too," Neville beamed happily for a moment and then frowned. "Gran told me what happened and what Fudge is doing. I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. I've got myself some legal protection so everything should be fine," Harry paused to take a deep breath and started on his real reason for visiting. "Can we sit somewhere? There's something important I need to share."

"Oh...of course," and for a brief second the old, insecure, Neville peaked through the boy's gentle eyes but blink had the echo vanish as soon as it had appeared. Harry was taken deeper into the greenhouse where a round glass table with surprisingly comfortable steel chairs were kept. An elf appeared to provide cold pumpkin juice. "Thank you, Mipsy."

"Nev, do you know Occlumency?" Harry asked carefully, knowing the answer would determine how much he could tell his friend.

"Huh? Oh yeah," Neville nodded, momentarily thrown at the question. "Gran taught me the basics when I was younger and she's been teaching me more this summer. She says she wants to make sure I'm protected by the time I have to join the Wizengamot. She's actually been helping me out a lot lately."

"That's good, mate. That's really good."

It was a difficult moment for Harry but he forged on, telling his friend about his realisation the night they had shared their personal history and his suspicions about why their parents were attacked. Neville grew whiter and was shaking by the time Harry was finished with the news that there really was a prophecy.

"Why? Why tell me?" Neville swallowed hard and gulped the full glass of juice before he could get his throat to work properly. "I mean..."

"What does it have to do with you?" Harry supplied and Neville nodded. "Because I don't think it's a coincidence that our parents were in hiding at the same time. Sure this prophecy might talk about me, but we've both heard the way Trelawney goes on with her 'predictions'. There's no way one of those things points to a person and says _Him, that's the one. He is the one I'm talking about._ It's all signs, clues and mystic mumbo-jumbo."

"You think it could have been either of us?" Neville guessed, somehow paling even more. Harry nodded and began to worry that his friend was about to pass out from lack of blood to the brain.

"And Dumbledore knew the entire time?" Another nod.

Neville closed his eyes and Harry recognised the meditative breathing his brother was doing to keep calm. When the brown eyes opened, they were filled with rage.

"I don't know if it means anything now," Harry admitted quickly in case Neville rushed off to attack the Headmaster. "But you, your Gran, you both deserve to know why your parents went into hiding. You both need to know why they were attacked."

Neville stared at the ground at his feet. Like Harry, he had grown up with the poisonous and maddening question of why him? Why was it his parents who stared at him without recognition while others got hugs and words of comfort. Now, after so many years, he had the answer, and it tasted of ash in his mouth.

Harry looked around the greenhouse and pushed on, needing to say his peace before anything distracted them. "Listen. If something happens to me..."

"What do you mean?" Neville's head snapped up and he was immediately brought out of his dark thoughts. "What's going to happen to you, Harry?"

"Hopefully nothing," Harry smiled though it didn't reach his eyes. "But if something does, I want you to know I've got plans in place, okay? I'll always have your back."

"Harry...you're scaring me."

"If something does," Harry pushed on, refusing to stop even as Neville tried interrupting. "I've got someone who should be able to come to you. Not yet, but at some point she will."

"Who?" His friend demanded, fear gripping his heart on what Harry might be thinking of doing. "Who she?"

"You don't know her," he explained with a small, wry smile. "And by the time she can talk to you, you might not like what you've heard about her. But I want you to promise something. Promise me you'll keep being the strong brother I know you are and promise me you'll trust her. I'll make sure she has something to identify herself with, but you can trust her the same way you trust me."

"Harry, you're scaring me. Can't you tell me what's going on?"

"I can't, Nev. I wish I could, I really wish could."

The pain on Harry's face decided it for Neville. He sat up straight, pulled out his wand, and magically swore that he would do as Harry had asked. Harry's chest warmed at the belief and trust his friend had in him.

"Thank you. And I know you'll always look after Luna for me," He quickly looked to where Neville had been working, desperately needing something to break the maudlin moment. "So why don't you show me what you've been up to?"

"Huh?" Neville's eloquent reply followed as he got mental whiplash from the change of topics. "Oh, sure."

The two brothers from different families walked to the open patch of dirt only for Neville to stop as he realised something. "Wait, you didn't tell me what she would say."

"That's easy," Harry smiled for the first time since they had sat down. "It's 'Family is forever, regardless of blood.'"

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _31st July, 1995._

Harry's birthday began with an early morning rush. A talk with the slightly less depressed Winky the previous night had her put out special clothes for him to wear, and it was a nervous Harry and Sirius who stood in front of the Floo.

"You know what you need to do?" Sirius yet again asked as though they hadn't been through the plan at least ten times. "Andi will give you a Pepper-Up and then you make sure to time-turn back before you come back through the Floo. No one will notice a thing."

"Padfoot, I promise, I know what I'm doing," Harry smiled at his godfather's nerves and gave the man a warm hug of thanks. The folder in Harry's hand crinkled at the move but neither truly cared.

"I know, Harry. I just wish I could go with you."

"I'll be with Ted and hidden until we get there. Besides, you'll see me a lot sooner than I'll see you."

"Oh yeah," The Marauder blinked as he worked through the confusion of using a time-turner.

Harry chuckled at the look on Padfoot's face and quickly grabbed a handful of powder before his godfather had a chance to start worrying again. A quick flash of green light, an announced destination, and he was gone with a woosh.

Sirius sighed, his chest aching at what his child was having to do, and felt silly for already missing Harry. He was just beginning to turn away from the flames when the Floo reconnected and the fire flared green, spiting Harry out in all his spectacular best.

"I bloody hate that thing." Harry groaned as he pulled himself onto all fours. "I can never seem to get it right."

Sirius was too stunned by the reappearance to even laugh. It was only the lack of a folder and a new glint of the Potter Ring on his godson's finger that explained this was the future Harry.

"Harry, what happens when you use the Floo?" Sirius asked while he used his grandfather's wand to began cleaning the dirty clothes as Harry had pulled himself up.

"Well I walk in, everything spins and then I get spat out." Harry answered sarcastically. He noticed the ring had reappeared and glared at it as though it was a naughty puppy. He concentrated the way he had been told to and it reluctantly disappeared.

"Pup, you have to think about it like a doorway. A really, really, really, _really_ , long doorway."

"You what?" Was the eloquent response.

"You take a step this end and come out the other end. You have to keep stepping. Otherwise you fall flat on your face," Sirius beamed, actually feeling like a father explaining things to his child.

"But the spin?" Harry whined, pouting exactly the way James did when Lily used to deny him something.

"In this case, the doorway is what's spinning, not you."

"And why hasn't anyone told me this before?" Harry complained with a woe-is-me look that had the Marauder bursting into his loud, barking laugh. The release of happiness blew away any annoyance Harry felt at his lack of graceful Floo travel. And then the screams of Walburga Black announced that at least someone else was awake and he growled at how the sound took away his godfather's smile. "Excuse me."

He stormed out of the kitchen, Sirius quickly following behind in order to enjoy the fireworks. A crowd was gathering to watch the attempts to shut the curtain because, apparently, everyone wanted to be up to celebrate his birthday!

"Walburga Black, you will cease and desist this incessant and ridiculous behaviour."

Everyone froze at Harry's voice. Sirius saw Fred and George taking a bet from Tonks over who would win and rolled his eyes towards Remus. Moony gave his Marauder friend a knowing grin at the escapade.

"What did you say to me, boy?" The painting of Sirius' mother demanded and those who understood Harry winced. That was the last thing he ever liked being called. "And who do you think you are to talk to me in my own home? Useless disgrace to the blood that you are."

"I am the Last Scion of House Potter," Harry snarled, his magic building and Sirius felt the house react to the Black magic in Harry's blood. Tonks watched in awe, feeling her own magic respond to the call, and all three elves popped into the hallway at snapped attention. Harry didn't notice any of this. " _You,_ are the overzealous woman who allowed this great Vanguard House to the Old Ways to be perverted by a jumped up, psychopath of a Half-blood with delusions of grandeur."

The painting's eyes widened when she heard Riddle's true heritage. The magic swirling around the hallway was too raw, too unrefined, for subtlety and it screamed truth to the portrait.

"Or did you deliberately forget the true meaning of _Toujours Pur et Toujours Debout_? How pure are our Houses, Mrs Black? How tall do we stand because of what that monster did and the bigotry that you infected this noble House with?"

The crowd were watching Harry as though never seeing him before. Some had seen his Scion Potter rants, yet even those lacked the true force of will that this one contained.

"Who am _I_ to speak to you in such a manner?" He slammed a hand into his chest, the same hand that possessed the invisible ring proclaiming him Lord Potter and Walburga couldn't take her eyes off the boy. It was as though she was looking at her uncle Arcturus all over again. "I am the one who will bring our Houses back to their positions of protectors to the Free Thinkers. I will not tolerate you, nor anyone else, besmirch our Houses nor our allies. Have I made myself clear?"

The magic of Grimmauld Place hadn't cared about Harry taking up his family's ring. What it cared about was that a few minutes later had seen Melania taking up her position as Lady Black. It knew that the girl within Harry Potter was speaking with his voice, commanding obedience with his magic, and passed that knowledge to Walburga. She could finally feel which of her son's was the father of the powerful child in front of her and, for the first time since in decades, was proud of her eldest child.

The magic and emotion that Harry and Melania poured into Black Manor burned away the vile hatred of the portrait. The memories that made up the magical painting were given a chance to realise just how far her beloved House had fallen. It was in total silence that Walburga Black, as feared in death as she had been in life, pulled herself up into a proud stance and actually _curtsied_ to the irate Harry. And with that, the curtains in front of her portrait slammed shut of their own accord.

Even with clearer thinking, Walburga wasn't yet ready to face the people inside her home. Instead she would sit, wait and learn. Perhaps even leave her frame to speak to the other portraits. All to prepare for when her granddaughter stepped up and revealed herself to the world.

 _Oh yes._ Walburga Black thought wickedly. _I've made mistakes but nothing like those who helped and guided me. My son and Lady Black will bring us to our rightful place in this world and destroy our enemies._

Harry stood, his heart pounding and chest heaving as he fought to recover his composure. Apparently Pepper-Up Potions weren't a perfect cure for the mental stresses of turning time. It was Ron who managed to articulate the moment perfectly.

"Bloody hell."

"Um...Harry, dear," Molly spoke up. It was she who had been closest to the portrait when the shouting had started.

"Sorry about that, Mrs. Weasley," he said, absently, still staring at the closed curtain. "It's been a long day."

"Harry, it's not even eight in the morning," Hermione corrected with concern from her position on the stairs.

"Long night, 'Mione," Harry scrubbed his face with his hands and sent a shy smile to his friends. "Err..Good morning everyone?"

"Harry, chum..." Greg called down.

"...that was brilliant..." Forge continued.

"...amazing even..."

"...spectacular as well..."

"Alright boys," Remus cut them off with a laugh. "Let's all have breakfast and wish Harry a happy birthday."

The crowd made their way into the kitchen. The twins talked louder than usual as they passed by the closed curtain to see if there would be any reaction. Molly had to grab them by their collars to keep them from making a second pass around and Hermione was reminded of the Snow White Disney film.

Aside from a brief moment of awkwardness from everyone over what happened, breakfast quickly became a rowdy affair. The day itself passed with Harry smiling far more than he had expected to after his full-day with Ted and the goblins. Birthday wishes were wished, gifts given and the group even managed a few rounds of Muggle boardgames that Hermione had retrieved from home. The Weasleys had been fascinated by the entire concept and the twins had cornered their red and gold Ravenclaw over all the different types of games that could be played. Arthur threw out his own questions and Harry couldn't stop smirking as he imagined their shop showing the Wizarding world what it was missing.

A bonus to the quizzing of Hermione was that Harry was saved from the majority of her worried looks over his outburst.

Those not staying at the house were able to drop by with their own wishes and gifts. Professor McGonagall gave him a rare smile and hug while Professor Flitwick had provided a number of private duelling books for him to study. Hermione's book-lust took over once she was free of the Weasleys and she spent the rest of the day browsing through the collection.

Tonks had surprised Harry by bringing Neville and Luna to the celebration. Apparently Mad-Eye had been so impressed by her ability to steal the slip of paper with the Fidelius' secret on it he had told her to keep it. So she immediately went out to make sure the two teenagers could see Harry. It was a sad moment when they had to leave early for Neville's own celebration and the two boys shared a meaningful look before they were parted.

Harry's sadness over Neville and Luna's departure was tempered by the arrival of Andromeda and Ted, both acting as though neither had seen him earlier in the day.

Eventually the celebration began to wind down, those still present and awake were settled in the library, and Harry was ready for the moment when he could speak to Sirius and Remus alone. His thoughts over what he had planned were broken by the strange sight of the twins frog-marching Ron to where he was sitting. George pulled over a nearby chair and Fred dumped their youngest brother into it. Both boys firmly holding his shoulders so there could be no running off.

"Harry mate..."

"...we've talked to this idiot..."

"...and we've managed to knock some sense into him..."

"...it might not be much..."

"...and it might not last..."

"..but we're hoping against hope," they finished together.

Harry couldn't help but laugh, especially when Ron's ears turned a shade of red, but he quickly pulled himself together to look at his former friend.

"Uh...well...Harry...mate...that is..." Ron stammered, doing his best to speak without actually saying anything. Fred leaned down to quietly whisper into his brother's ear and whatever was said turned the boy white.

"Right," Ron nodded frantically. "Harry...Scion Potter..I've been a bloody jealous prat. I always have been. I say and do things I shouldn't because of it. I really am sorry, Harry. What I said, what I did in speaking to Skeeter. I should never have done it."

"No, no you shouldn't have," Harry answered with a voice cold enough to freeze the gas lamps. The background chatter ebbed away as people watched the scene and Harry realised the twins had wanted an audience. "You know something, Ron? If it had only been the jealousy I might have forgiven you. I understand wanting something that someone else has so badly it hurts. I felt it every time I saw you with your family at the end of the year."

Ron tried shrinking at Harry's verbal assault, the emotional blows made worse by the neutral voice it was given in, but the twins held him straight. Their faces were masks, hiding the pain they felt over the hurt boy they had practically adopted.

"But it wasn't just the jealousy, was it Ron?" Harry pushed on and people could hear the pain beneath the ice. His eyes were hard flints of emerald. "You forced me to me talk about my past. You made me share things I would never have told a damn soul because of how Rita was making me look. What right did you have to do that, Ron? What right did you have to force me into sharing my pain?"

The library went deathly quiet. For some, it was the first time they understood what Luna's interview had cost him. Finally Ron realised he was meant to answer and he could only croak out a weak one. "I didn't have one."

"No, no you didn't. I won't forgive you for that, Ron, and I sure won't forget it either. Our friendship is broken. Dead." Ron's head sagged and a lone tear slide down his cheek. Deep inside the red-headed boy had been a tiny flicker of hope. He truly did miss what he had destroyed. He missed his friend. "But we're allies. Your family is my family. For them, I can work with you. Be around you."

Harry suddenly felt empty inside. The extremely long double-day had finally caught up with him and he rose with a nod to the twins. They returned it and Harry left the room without looking back. Sirius and Remus were immediately to their feet and following him to leave a stunned and silent group behind.

"It was more than you could have hoped for, Ronald," His father announced from where he was sitting, Molly's face buried into the comforting shoulder. Molly hadn't realised how badly the rift had been between her family and Harry, and now feared her own actions might have helped push the boy away even further.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The two Marauders found Harry standing in front of a blank part of the wall next to the stairs. It was a secret room, one of several scattered around the house, and they shared a concerned look at why Harry would be there of all places.

"I need a favour from you both," he announced without turning around. There was a weariness to the words and Sirius thought his godson sounded like a man past his prime. Harry's shoulders held tension and his hands kept clenching into fists.

"Anything, pup."

"Whatever you need, cub."

Sirius had pointed out the room to Harry the night he arrived. It had been with a throwaway promise of Harry's magic being added to all the secret rooms the Animagus knew of. Harry pressed his hand against the panel his godfather had highlighted and felt the lock connect with his magic. A soft click announced the door's unlocking. The wall silently opened to reveal a small work area that had once been used by a 'Black who enjoyed tinkering in things he really shouldn't have.'

The three entered the hidden room and the house's magic immediately created an illusion to hide the opening from any prying eyes.

"Kreacher," Harry called out to the Black elf who instantly appeared.

"Master called?"

"I need what I gave you earlier, a glass tray that must have absolutely nothing metal associated with it, and a knife with the highest silver content we have," the elf instantly vanished to get what had been requested.

"Harry?" Remus asked nervously as he looked around the dark room. The only light came from the hallway and the aura of the room put Moony on edge. "Not to be a spoilsport but...silver?"

"I need a wand," Harry told them. Kreacher appeared and wordlessly handed over the items as well as a charmed bag before vanishing again. The elf had heard the events in the library and knew that this was not a time for his usual back-chat. "And I'd like your help in making one."

"How do you know how to make a wand, Harry? I thought you couldn't find anything in the Black books?" The werewolf asked, nervously eyeing the shiny blade. It was then he noticed what Harry had pulled out of the bag and gasped. "That's aspen. I haven't seen an aspen wand in years."

The stick of aspen was bone-white with a fine grain and was a wand material that had been highly prised in the past. It was actually a wand-in-waiting, needing only a core it could call its own.

"I found it in the Black vault," Harry shrugged before starting a tale. "Many years ago there were three brothers. Three powerful brothers who created three powerful magical items."

"You're talking about that old fairy tale, from Beedle the Bard." Sirius grinned as he remembered the story. "Oh, what's it called..."

He clicked his fingers in frustration at not being able to remember and it fell to Moony to do the naming. "The Tale of the Three Brothers. Though some call it the Tale of the Deathly Hallows."

"Yeah, that," Padfoot exclaimed happily. "It's only a story, Harry. It's not real."

"Antioch Peverell who created the Death Stick, died without children," Harry continued as though they hadn't spoken, carefully retrieving the other items from the bag. "Cadmus Peverell, who created the Resurrection Stone, had a family that would eventually result in a young boy named Ton Riddle."

The jaws of both men fell open.

"Ignotus Peverell, who created the Cloak of Invisibility, and whose granddaughter Iolanthe Peverell would marry Hardwin Potter."

"James' cloak," Sirius blinked, unsure whether to believe what he was hearing or laugh at the incredible joke. "It's a Hallows?"

"Yes," Harry answered as he carefully arranged the fragile fragment of Fawkes' feather, a surprisingly large container of what looked like ground bone and a potion that Remus thought he recognised.

"Please tell me you aren't trying to recreate the wand." Moony pleaded. He knew about the story of the Death Stick and his constantly travelling had given him a chance to hear rumours of what happened to those who possessed it. "Please, Harry."

"What are you, crazy?" Harry gasped at the man he considered an uncle, his sombre mood broken by shock of the question. It was only then that he realised how his words would have sounded. "Morgana no, Moony! I only mentioned it because the _Potter Book_ told me about the brothers. Antioch's original plan, before they got obsessed with creating the Hallows, was to make a different type of wand. One that was as close to perfection in its connection to its user as possible."

"And that's what this is about?" Sirius asked in obvious relief.

"Of course it is," Harry replied as though it was an idiot who thought he was after anything else. The incredulous look he gave the two men had them shrugging to each other at the mix-up. "You two really thought I was going to try recreating that thing?"

"Well..."

"Kinda...?"

Harry couldn't help it. He started giggling and couldn't stop at the idea of trying to make something so dangerous.

"I'm not an idiot," he grinned, foolishly. "I'm going to create a wand that's as much a part of me as possible. And then blood-bond it so that only someone of my family can use it."

Harry was staring at Sirius who blinked in surprise.

"You want me to use this wand?" The Animagus asked in surprise, floored by what Harry was offering.

"I want you to be _able_ to use it, Sirius. You'll have your own wand eventually but a spare wouldn't hurt."

"And me, Harry? Why am I here?"

"The entire procedure allows for me to add the blood of a non-family member to the wand. Someone who I trust explicitly to know the real me. Someone I would trust my very soul to."

Remus chocked up and did the only thing he could do when he saw the smug look of pride in Padfoot's face. He conjured a newspaper and smacked the man over the head with it.

"Hey!"

"I'd be honoured, cub. Thank you."

"I guess I'm the moral support?" Sirius joked only to be surprised when Harry shook his head.

"Nope. I need you to pluck me."

"Pluck...you...? You _did_ say _PLUCK,_ right?" The worried Padfoot asked. Moony burst into his own laughter.

"Your Animagus form," the second-smartest Marauder guessed. "You've found it. So I'm guessing that's what the potion is for?"

"Exactly," Harry beamed at their willingness to help him. The potion in question would allow his body to change into its Animagus form for a full sixty seconds without the animal taking control. Plenty of time for Sirius to take what was needed.

"Really? Ooh, ohh, what are you?" Sirius asked, jumping up and down like an excited Dobby.

"A bird, obviously, Pads," Remus said, feeling like he used to back in Hogwarts when he had to apologise for his friend.

"Actually, no," Harry corrected with a little blush. "I'm sort of a liger."

"A liger?" Padfoot frowned only to growl when Remus burst into laughter. Once again Moony had got to the answer first.

"Of course," Mooney was shaking his head at the obviousness of the form even as Sirius gave him death glares. "What is it we always said about James, Pads? He could be a fierce lion protecting Lily but turn into a pussy-cat the minute she batted her eyes at him."

"And her form was the tiger! Of course," Sirius' eyes shone with excitement at being able to see his godson's form. "Well take it the potion then, I want to see the big pussycat!"

Harry buried his head in his hands and groaned. He had wanted to explain the difference in his form but the excitement of Sirius was too contagious and he felt the excitement at taking the potion building. He picked up the potion and gave Remus a stern look. "Remember, pluck the wings. I need one of the feathers."

"Wings?"

"Feathers?"

Harry didn't reply. Instead he downed the potion and took a step back before it activated. The three waited with baited breath and then the two men were in awe as their Prongslet shifted into the powerful form of a black-winged liger, complete with slitted eyes and serpentine fangs.

"Merlin..." They both exclaimed.

The liger rumbled at them and thrust out one of the wings, impatience clear in the animal's unique gaze.

"Right, right," Sirius nodded idiotically and carefully reached out to grasp one of the soft feathers. The liger closed its eyes and tensed as the feather was pulled.

"It's his blood," Remus guessed, remembering Sirius telling him about Harry's talk with Madam Pomfrey. "From the Chamber."

The liger nodded its head and then, somehow, took on a mischievous look. It was an interesting expression for the giant cat. The two Marauders wondered what the animal was thinking, only to be stunned again when the feline began to fade away. They frowned, knowing the potion should have worked for a full minute, and then their eyes widened as they saw the sleek form of a dire wolf take the big cat's place.

"Baby?" Sirius croaked with emotions, knelling down to look into the eyes of his daughter. "Melania? My girl has an Animagus form, Moony! Look at how beautiful she is!"

Remus smiled at how deliriously happy his friend was. His chest was bursting at his own feelings and deep inside he could feel Moony rise up. The wolf wanting to welcome the she-wolf into their pack. The she-wolf stared up at him, even as it enjoyed the wonderful caresses of Sirius, and Remus saw the acceptance and desire to run with Moony. He fought back the immediate denial and nodded. After all, a dire wolf had the strength to match a werewolf if he ever lost control.

All too soon the minute was up and the wolf closed its eyes tightly. It began to fade and then the change appeared to stutter for a moment before Harry was back. He fell to his knees and Sirius was forced to catch the exhausted boy before he crashed to the floor.

"Okay," Harry gasped in obvious pain. "Memo to self. Don't change between us when we're in our Animagus forms. Morgana, that hurts like a bitch."

"Thank you," Sirius hugged Harry tightly. The gift of being able to see his daughter's animal form was priceless to the Marauder. "Thank you."

Harry smiled and the two carefully rose from the floor. Kreacher appeared once more and handed over a pain relief potion, Harry being so used to taking them that he knew what it was simply by its unique smell. He knocked the foul tasting liquid back and gave the vial to the elf with a nod of thanks. The elf returned the action and disappeared yet again.

"So, Harry," Remus said to bring them back to the reason they were in the room. "The wand?"

"Right," the exhausted boy agreed. "And you were right, Moony. The Chamber affected my animal somehow."

Remus was sure he could work out the why from Lily's notes but kept that to himself. In the end, it wasn't as important as what they were doing in that moment.

Harry carefully sliced the remains of Fawkes' feather into seven roughly equal pieces and wrapped each one around the black feather Sirius had taken, explaining the process as he went.

"The core has to be a mixture," he said, remembering the confusion he had felt in reading the instructions for the first time. "Something of importance to me, something from a defining moment in my life and a part of me that isn't blood."

"The feather from your old wand and your feather. So what's the last piece?" Sirius asked, curiously picking up the container Harry had yet to touch. His godson grinned as he took it from him.

"Ground basilisk fang from Slytherin's monster," the two men blinked at the answer and shuddered in stereo. The size of the container gave far too much of a hint as to the size of the monster. "I have to let it all sit in my blood, and yours if you're still willing Moony, for seven full days. It'll turn into some type of paste and I have to use the same knife to smear it over the wood. It then takes another seven days for the paste to be fully absorbed and turn into a core that'll be some weird mix of the original ingredients."

"You're amazing, you know that right?" Sirius said in awe as Harry did exactly what he described. The ground fang was used as a small bed for the black feather to lay on and Harry didn't even blink when he sliced his thumb to drip the required blood onto the strange looking pile.

"Thanks. I'm sorry, Remus, but it has to be silver. I would have used anything else otherwise."

Remus didn't care about the pain from the silver, not when he was being invited to be involved with such an amazing ritual. Even a small mark on his thumb would be a badge of pride for the werewolf, a reminder of this night when the three of them had shared something special.

As soon as Remus had added his blood to the mix, all the energy and strength seemed to fall out of Harry. The exhaustion of doing the day over meant that the new Lord Potter was barely able to hug the men goodnight and make it to bed before he collapsed. It was later that night, when the rest of the house was asleep and they could enjoy a glass of Firewhiskey together, that would see Remus tease his friend over the fact Melania's form was that of a _wolf_.

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oOoOo


	22. Trial By Fire, Part 3

**AN: Part 3! Early because I'm nice like that. I'm happy to hear how much the ritual was enjoyed.**

 **thekingofsweden1 - Ron did need to be forced into saying sorry but he really did mean it.**

 **desireejones99 - Easy, absolutely. But the end of Ron's issues? Nope!**

 **TheConstellation - The wand is for Harry as Melania already has one that feels connected to her. Both can use the other wand but it's not a great match.**

* * *

Trial by Fire, Part 3

 _31st July, 1995 – The other end of the Floo._

The original Harry Potter came shooting out of the Tonks' fireplace and ended up rolling on their living room carpet until he crashed into the sofa in a puff of soot. A mature giggle announced the presence of Andromeda alongside the chuckling Ted.

"We'll have to see about teaching you how to do that," She smiled as she helped him to his feet, easily cleaning him off the soot. "Are you all prepared for today?"

"I've got everything I need here," he told her as he held up the folder. There was a moment of silence as green eyes met blue as Harry saw the Tonks' house-guest. He bowed to his other aunt and gave her the respect she was due. "Good morning, Lady Narcissa. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask."

"Scion Potter," she replied with a deep dip of the head. "Your offer is appreciated. Good luck today in claiming what is rightfully yours."

Andromeda slipped an indistinct cloak around Harry's shoulders and quickly shuffled the two men out of the house. While Harry and her sister might be able to speak politely with each other, she wasn't going to put Cissy under any more stress than she could get away with.

It was still early in the morning, far too early for most of the usual morning rush, and the emptiness extended to the Knight Bus. Ted had been forewarned about Harry's spectacular Floo exits and the solicitor wasn't comfortable in Apparating them both to Diagon Alley. The journey was made in hushed whispers though they spoke of nothing important and both were grateful when the bus stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron.

Ted walked with a purpose, head up and eyes straight ahead, and Harry was hard pressed to keep up. They entered the majestic Gringotts building and immediately went through a side-door marked Inheritances. The goblin behind the desk looked up from his paperwork in surprise at the early business.

"Yes, human?"

"I'm here to discuss the inheritances of my clients." Ted declared.

"And they are?" The goblin asked in a bored tone that didn't hide the suspicious look towards the single cloaked figure.

"Harry James Potter, Scion of House Potter, and Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black, Heiress of House Black," he answered with a slight smirk.

"That is most irregular, human," the goblin replied and Harry was confused. It seemed as though the goblin was impressed rather than annoyed at the situation. "I will take you to a meeting room where you will be seen to."

The room, a short walk down another corridor, was extremely plain. Its main feature being a large business desk dominating the centre. Ted immediately sat at one end and began to take papers out of his own folder. Harry slipped off the bulky cloak and sat beside his 'uncle'.

"This is good. Interesting but good," Ted mused aloud and explained when Harry gave a quizzical look. "To goblins, business should be treated like battle. They don't like frivolities nor fuss. There are some meeting rooms here that are full with artwork, extra furniture, anything to distract the people who are given it."

"So the more bland the room, the more seriously they take us?" Harry asked, not realising the door was opening as he spoke.

"Indeed, Mr. Potter," the goblin who entered answered for Ted. It was a fierce looking creature with a number of scars decorating its face and one ear had been savagely ripped off. Behind the goblin came two others, each carrying a thick folder with some type of ceremonial bowl balanced on top of. Behind these were four guards, each armed with swords and axes and looking like they meant business.

"Chief Ragnok," Ted said in surprise, rising quickly to bow to the goblin. Harry scrambled to follow suit, not wanting to appear disrespectful. "I had not expected to be dealing with you this morning."

"I thought as much, Solicitor Tonks," Ragnok replied as he took a seat. The other goblins sat on either side and the guards lined up against the wall. "But this is a special day, is it not Mr. Potter?"

Harry frowned as he tried to piece together what the goblin Chief was talking about. From deep in his memory came the distant recollection of what happened the last time he had stepped in the bank. So much had happened in the year that he had completely forgotten the strangeness involved in collecting the _Potter_ _Book_. He sighed and took off his glasses to dump them on the table, somehow feeling that their mask wouldn't be needed in what was about to happen.

"That gong," Harry guessed and Ragnok nodded, Ted frowned and looked between them as the situation spiralled away from what the solicitor had expected.

"That gong indeed, Mr. Potter."

"What gong, Harry?" Ted asked, clearly not enjoying being out of the loop.

"Solicitor Tonks, has Healer Tonks ever spoken to you of the Black Knife?" Ragnok asked and the man slowly nodded.

"The Knife announces itself with a gong to celebrate and alert Gringotts when a Black has been found who perfectly matches the true meaning of what House Black stands for," the goblin leader explained. "It has not sounded in the bank for a long time even though we believed Healer Tonks to be one who would make it happen."

"Why didn't she?" Ted automatically asked, thinking his wife was exactly what had been described. He was surprised when it was Harry who had the answer.

"Because aunt Andi is a healer. The Knife looks for someone who will stand and fight for the Family. Andi is better at protecting and caring for it."

Ted couldn't argue against that. His wife might be a Black but she was born to heal. She lived for it.

"I assume the _Book_ told you that, Mr. Potter?" Ragnok's returned to Harry who nodded. "The _Book_ , Solicitor Tonks, is something similar for House Potter. It announces when a person best signifies the traits of the House; power, loyalty, and a passion to reshape the world for the better. The last time the Potter gong sounded was with Charlus Potter. So imagine our surprise when both gongs rang out when Mr. Potter here collected the _Book_."

"Why is the Goblin Nation so concerned about the two Houses?" Ted felt something bigger than either of them were aware of heading full steam towards him. Harry was glad he wasn't the one asking the question when the goblin Chief grinned a mouth full of teeth.

"Because the man who begot both Houses promised us something, Solicitor Tonks. He promised that when such an event occurred, it would be the start of a change in our Nation's fortunes."

"Another bloody prophecy," Harry moaned, looking towards the ceiling in disgust.

"Not quite, Mr. Potter," Ragnok chuckled at the boy's reaction. It was a harsh sound, similar to earth grinding against itself. "Gwydion fab Dôn did not say _you_ would change it for us, he only said that the change would begin once you set the gongs off. In fact, he was quite insistent that whoever caused them to ring would have almost nothing to do with the changes. So you see, Mr. Potter, you are merely a footnote for our Nation declaring the time of what we were promised. Nothing more."

"Harry?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Is that the man whose son created the Dementors?"

"That's the one, sir."

"Great," Ted groaned and wondered when things had gotten so complicated. "Chief Ragnok, is there something that the Goblin Nation actually wishes from my client?"

"Absolutely nothing, Solicitor Tonks. As I said, all that has been promised to us will come to pass regardless. It merely makes your client an interesting human to deal with. Now, shall we get on with your reason for being here?"

The goblin to Ragnok's right slid over his bowl. Inside it was a small blade that looked incredibly sharp.

"I am DaggerClaw, Account Manager to House Potter," the goblin declared in a guttural snarl. "You must bleed into the bowl to prove yourself Harry Potter before we continue."

Ted was much happier to be on firmer ground. Harry took the blade and sliced it down his palm so the blood could run easily into the bowl. He watched it flow from his open hand and wondered if the little extras in his blood would make a difference.

Apparently the bowl had taken enough and the magic of the ritual caused the container to glow. The soft light flowed up the trickle and enveloped his hand until the wound had closed without a scar. Ted slid the bowl and knife back to DaggerClaw who grunted back at the man.

Ragnok dipped a quill unlike any Harry had seen before into the blood. The quill soaked up the crimson liquid until it turned a dark red, whereby Ragnok then pressed the tip onto a blank piece of parchment. The blood poured out of the quill and Harry watched in fascinated as its original colouring returned.

The blood pooled outwards from the quill's tip and then began to split. Harry could see it was forming squiggles, words he realised, but was unable to read any of it from his position. Once the quill had emptied, Ragnok nodded his approval and passed the parchment onto DaggerClaw. The Potter Account Manager then assessed it for any possibility of error.

"You are Harry James Potter, son of James Charlus Potter and Lily Potter née Evans and godson to Sirius Orion Black III. Due to Ministry declaration and being the last Scion of House Potter, you are eligible today to take up the mantle of being Lord Potter. Is this your wish this day, Mr. Potter?"

"It is," Harry declared with more authority than he actually felt.

"And is it your understanding that in doing so, you are charged with the continuation of your House in all the authority and responsibilities that are involved?"

"It is."

"Then bleed once more into the bowl of House Potter and announce yourself Lord of House," DaggerClaw commanded.

The empty bowl was once again in front of Harry and this time he stood. In a clear, powerful voice he spoke his intent to those in the room and to Magic herself as he offered up his blood.

"I, Harry James Potter, do here, this day, take up the mantle of Lord Potter as is my right. I do so swear to uphold the House and all its responsibilities. So I say, so I swear, so mote it be."

The bowl glowed the same blue that Harry had when he cursed Lucius Malfoy. There was less blood taken this time and it seemed to fade into the bowl to reveal a golden ring, the crest of House Potter showing a rampant Thestral with its wings outstretched. Harry swallowed hard at the sight and reverently picked up the ring. Somehow his hand managed not to shake as he slid it onto his middle finger, where it automatically resized itself to fit perfectly.

"A word of warning, Lord Potter," DaggerClaw said and Harry's stomach flipped as he wondered why any warnings hadn't come before he put the ring on. "Anyone not of Potter blood, or included within House Potter in another way, attempting to wear the ring will experience extreme discomfort. Anyone with Potter blood, or included within House Potter in another way, trying to wear the ring will find it change to a House membership ring and not the Lordship ring it currently is. You could, of course, provide such a House membership ring to those of Potter blood, or included within House Potter in another way, if that is your wish."

Harry felt his mind go blank towards the end of the speech but he managed to nod his understanding of the warning. Ted had told him the same thing, in much simply terms, as well as making sure he knew about the goblins' habit of being long winded and technical in order to cover all bases. He sat back down and it was then time to go through everything about House Potter.

His parents' wills were read and silence followed the news that Harry really was meant to go to Andromeda and Ted. A list of alternatives had been included if the Tonks weren't able to look after him but at no point were the Dursleys mentioned. Ted squeezed Harry's hand and he sent the man a grateful smile.

When Ted asked about why the will hadn't been opened, the answer had been shockingly simple. No one asked for it to be. Once Harry had been spirited away, everyone in authority had simply assumed he was where he was supposed to be.

The Potter finances were relatively healthy, although had been left to flounder since there had been no one actively keeping an eye on them.

"Without a Potter or your Magical Guardian's consent, much of what I could do was limited," DaggerClaw explained with obvious disgust. Harry made sure to remember the look and do his utmost to never have a goblin direct it at him.

To his surprise, he found that he had a stake in the Quibbler and immediately asked DaggerClaw to buy up the rest. He also requested that he provide a stipend so that the Lovegoods were looked after no matter how much the paper actually got sold.

"And now here is a letter from Sirius Orion Black III," Ted informed the goblins, handing over the document to Ragnok. "Written and signed using a blood quill, detailing his wish to have Harry James Potter take up Regent position over House Black until such time he names a Lord or Lady Black."

"Interesting," the third, unnamed goblin said. "Does he realise that in doing so, he forfeits his rights to take up his position as Lord Black should he ever be declared innocent of the false crimes he is accused of?"

Harry wasn't surprised the goblins knew his godfather was innocent.

"He does."

"And does he understand that Lord Potter, in his role as Regent Black, could even name someone already of Black blood as Head of House? Or even that Lord Potter, in his role as Regent Black, could kick him out of House Black?"

"He does."

"Well then, I can make it so."

"And now we move on to my second client," Ted said with a little flair and a larger smirk. Harry realised the man had more than a little Marauder inside of him. The goblins eyed them suspiciously, especially when Harry once again stood. "Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black."

Harry let himself go and Melania stood proudly in front of the shocked goblins. Winky's special clothing adapted to her different body to become a very comfortable business suit and skirt outfit that was perfect for a professional meeting.

Melania sat back down and crossed her legs, having her own smirk at the stunned looks the goblins gave her. Even the guards' stone masks had broken at the sight of her emerging from Harry Potter. It was clearly evident to all that she carried far more confidence than Lord Potter had. Suddenly Ragnok burst into loud, rumbling laughter.

"Brilliant! Gwydion fab Dôn, you truly were a genius. I approve!"

"Chief?" The Black Account Manager looked between Ragnok and Melania, desperate to understand the humour.

"Think about it, Bodrig," Ragnok continued to laugh with his far too many teeth. "Lord Potter can be Regent Black even while this one can be Lady Black. Both can be true because they don't clash. Neither can affect the other while the other lives."

The two Account Managers stared in awe at the manipulation of the laws. Bodrig coughed away his surprise and pushed his bowl over so that Melania could prove her identity.

"Firstly, a letter from Scion Sirius Orion Black III," Ted announced before she had a chance to bleed. "Written and signed using a blood quill detailing his wish to have his daughter, Melania Cassiopeia Black, take up her position as Lady Black."

"Interesting." Bodrig shook his head and Ragnok's chuckling continued. "Does he realise that in doing so, he forfeits his rights to take up his position as Lord Black should he ever be declared innocent the false crimes he is accused of?"

"He does."

"And does he understand that Lady Black could even kick him out of House Black?"

"He does."

"Well then, if she proves herself to be who you claim, I can make it so."

Melania sliced her palm, Ragnok repeated the ritual with the quill and Bodrig read out the results.

"Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black, daughter of Sirius Orion Black III and Lily Potter née Evans and god-daughter to James Charlus Potter," Both Melania and Ted were taken aback by _that_ piece of news. "Due to Ministry declaration, being the child of Scion Black, you are eligible to take up the position of Lady Black as well as Regent Potter. Is this your wish this day, Miss Black?"

"It is," Melania declared with passion.

"And is it your understanding that in doing so you are charged with the continuation of your House in all the authority and responsibilities that are involved?"

"It is."

"Then bleed once more into the bowl of House Black and announce yourself Lady of House," Bodrig commanded and like Harry before her, Melania stood to declare her intent.

"I, Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black, child of Black, god-child of Potter, do here, this day, take up the mantle of Lady Black as is my right. I do so swear to uphold the House and all its responsibilities. So I say, so I swear, so mote it be."

The Black bowl glowed a vivid red and the Black ring was a band of platinum with a pitch black stone. It's crest was that of Morgana's raven form. Melania carefully slide it onto the same finger that her House Potter membership ring sat and she watched as the two rings merged. Ted had told her it would happen but it was still a sight to see.

"A word of warning, Lady Black," Bodrig explained even though it had already been explained by DaggerClaw. Melania couldn't help smiling at the seriousness of the redundant speech. "Anyone not of Black blood, or included within House Black in another way, attempting to wear the ring will experience extreme discomfort. Anyone with Black blood, or included within House Black in another way, trying to wear the ring will find it change to a House membership ring and not the Ladyship ring. You can, of course, provide a ring of House membership to anyone of Black blood, or included within House blood in another way, if you so wish."

She shook her head at the insanity of the situation and confirmed her understanding of the warning. The Black finances were in a much better situation than the Potters only because of their superior start as, once again, there had been no one in power to control what happened.

She pulled out two business proposals and gave them to Ted for a final once over. He took his time going through them before finally nodding his approval and sliding them to Ragnok.

"My clients would like to implement these," he explained. "The joke shop will be a thousand gallons out of the Potter Account while the Longbottom business will be done via the Black Account. We would like the former to be delivered to the co-owners at this address the same day as the Hogwarts letters are delivered. The co-owners will be the ones focusing mostly on the business. The latter proposal will need a lot of work in building the infrastructure, as well as any aid the goblins can supply. My wife will handle the dealings with St. Mungo's."

"Interesting ideas," Ragnok announced, especially impressed with the second plan. "Any more business, Solicitor Tonks?"

"There are two pieces," Melania answered for herself. "Firstly. I want the full reinstatement of Andromeda Tonks née Black into House Black, a dowry befitting a worthy daughter of Black paid to the family and all three of the Tonks family to have their own Black family vault."

"Melania?" Ted had thought the girl, his niece, might do exactly this. He had thought but he hadn't dared hope it would happen. He could imagine the look on Dromeda's face when she found out and he could feel the emotions rising at what a gift it would be for his wife.

"You're Family," Melania explained with finality. Bodrig nodded his understanding.

"It will take a few days to set everything up."

"That's fine. I would like to visit my vaults," Melania told the goblins as she pulled out the remaining sheets from her folder. "And there is a large collection of dragon skin in the Potter one."

"Congratulations on such a fine kill, Lady Black," the goblin Chief bowed his head at her and she responded in kind.

"Thank you. I would like to know if the goblins are capable of turning the skin into clothing similar to this," she pushed the photos over the table. Only a handful were actually Wizarding images with the rest being Muggle photos. Each one detailed her favourite style of clothing.

"This is an interesting request," Ragnok coldly pointed out, all trace of humour vanishing at the request. "Why should we do it when such a thing is capable within the Wizarding world?"

"Because I want them battle ready," she immediately answered. "My battles are on the field _and_ in the political arena. I need clothing capable of matching both. I will also make sure Solicitor Tonks draws up a will stating everything made immediately returns to the Goblin Nation upon my death."

All of the goblins stared at her declaration. Very rarely did they come across a wizard or witch who even knew of their attitude towards crafting.

One did not buy an item indefinitely from a goblin, the ownership lasted only until they lived. Once the person who purchased an item from a goblin died then goblin laws stated it returned directly to the maker, something that had caused wars between wizards and goblins in the past.

"Write the decree now, you both sign in blood, and I will have our finest tailors working on your designs," Ragnok demanded, sure the strange witch before him would balk at being locked in an ironclad promise.

"Deal," Lady Melania Black announced without a moment's pause.

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oOoOo

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Melania was in a daze as she drifted through the Potter vaults. Somehow, without anyone knowing, James Potter had declared her his god-daughter. She could only guess that it had been Lily who had spoken to him about her fears, the same fears that had seen Lily pushing Sirius into making Melania's existence a matter of record.

"Oh, mum," she whispered to the lonely vault. "What did you know? What were you afraid of?"

She took only a little gold and returned to the quiet Ted and their goblin guide. A much longer ride took them into the warm depths of the bank and the Black vaults. Melania really had no need to go to either, and no desire truth be told, but there was something in the Black Vault she needed to deal with.

"Is that it?" Ted asked when they got to their destination.

They were looking at a golden dagger that hung in mid-air above its plinth. The stone surface was curved inwards and heavily stained red. Blood red.

"That would be it," she told him and they both wondered how many generations of Blacks had bleed for the Knife and been given its knowledge. "Once the paperwork goes through, Dora can try it if she wants."

She didn't wait for a reply, stepping forward to wrap her hand tightly around the sharp double-edged blade. The moment her grip was in place, the Knife slide up and down of its own accord to slice deeply into her palm. They heard the gong that signalled the blade's agreement, the answering one from the Potter vault, and then suddenly Melania was assaulted with images of battle.

The pictures flashed through her mind faster than she could process them and the entire event seemed to be over before it had really begun. Melania felt herself pushed away from the Knife, her hand stinging as it was magically healed, and the two watched the plinth greedily absorb her blood.

"It worked, I take it?" Ted asked with his hands around her to keep her from falling. He hadn't liked what he had witnessed in the slightest. It turned his stomach and he would be having strong words with Dora about staying far away from the magical blade.

"We'll find out soon enough," she answered with a shaky voice.

As they were making their way out of the vault, something else called to her, and Melania turned her head to see boxes filled with what looked like wands.

"Uncle Ted?" She called. When he stopped to see what had caught her attention, he made an understanding sound.

"Ah, not wands, Melania. Potential wands," he explained with amusement. "Apparently Dromeda's father was a collector, obsessed with trying to find the secret to wand making. As far as anyone knew, he never managed it."

She nodded, only half listening, and stepped closer. Her eyes were focused entirely upon the box that held ghostly white sticks. Melania carefully, almost afraid of what was happening, reached out to the box and the sticks shuddered. She was about to pull her hand away when one of the sticks jumped out from the very deepest part of the box and smacked her palm. Reflexes had her catching the wood instantly even as she winced at the the impact. The stick called out to Harry same way Harry could feel her wand call to her.

"Kreacher," the Black elf appeared with a huge grin at seeing his Mistress' form. "I want you to put this in that special bag I gave you. I'll be using it later."

"Yes, Mistress Melania," The elf said with much more deference than what he gave Harry.

.

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oOoOo

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 _._

 _2nd August, 1995._

The morning of the hearing saw a minor altercation between Molly and Ted. Somehow, despite his silence towards Harry, Dumbledore had made the suggestion that Arthur be the one to take him to the Ministry. Ted, being the obvious choice, wasn't having anything to do with such an idiotic idea.

"I'm a professional, Mrs Weasley. This is part of my job," Ted told her in a no nonsense tone. "Harry and I need to get there early, we need the time to discuss strategy, and he needs to be comfortable by the time this stupid thing starts."

Apparently Harry's comfort was the key to calming the agitated woman down. She had all been set to fight Ted on the issue until the last point. She turned a caring gaze to Harry and silently capitulated.

The two then said their goodbyes, Harry exchanging hugs with everyone there, and almost all wished him good luck for the hearing. That the Weasleys, and more shockingly Hermione, appeared to have no real faith in Ted spoke volumes to Harry.

The trip through the Floo was the first time Harry had a chance to put Sirius' instructions to the test. He attempted to continue his step just before the spinning stopped and, much to his surprise, it actually worked. He only stumbled into Ted rather than end up sliding across the highly polished floor.

"Not bad, Harry," Ted chuckled at the memory of Harry's spectacular exit last time. The Muggle-born had a moment to imagine a game of bowling with Harry as the ball fired from the Floo and then he put his business face on. "It'll take some time but you're getting better."

Harry barely heard the man, so taken aback by the scale of the Ministry and how busy it was. There were people moving everywhere, coming and going on important missions that meant they barely moved out of the way of those around them.

"Kings Cross," he said in awe as they moved through the mass of bodies. They were catching attention with Harry's robe bearing the Potter crest and roaming eyes would then shift upwards towards the scar once they realised who he was.

"It can certainly feel like it," Ted agreed, understanding the reference. His words were laced with a little disdain and the attitude increased when he noticed Harry coming to a dead stop to stare at the golden statue taking up the centre of the floor. His client's nose wrinkled at the design. "Terrible, isn't it? As a Muggle-born, and knowing the world history of this century alone, you can imagine how dirty I feel every time I walk past it."

Harry could only nod in emphatic agreement. The reinforcement of wizards being above all, even witches, turned his stomach. He was going to make damn sure to leave out this part of his day when describing it all to Hermione.

The two approached a bored looking guard and Ted put on his most superior look. Harry thought it made the man look remarkably like his wife and wondered if that's where the look had come from.

"Edward Tonks, of Fawley and Tonks, escorting my client to a disciplinary hearing."

"Wand," the guard said in a monotonous tone Harry hadn't heard outside a slow supermarket.

"In for repair," Ted replied as though it was the most obvious thing and the man was an idiot for even asking. _Snape._ Harry decided. Somehow Ted must have taken lessons from Snape in how to make people feel inches tall.

"I'll need to scan him."

"Of course," The snort and sneer had Harry grinning as he imagined Vernon trying his best to impress Ted.

A stern look from Ted had Harry's grin slip away as the guard ran a wand over his body. Harry had left Melania's wand secured with Winky and was only wearing the dual holsters for comfort and the fact he was now used to the weights on his forearms. The guard waved them through and went back to his boring day.

They travelled deep into the heart of the Ministry and were even forced to wait for a lift. Eventually they managed to get one that wasn't sardine packed and travelled to Level Two. As soon as they entered the open-plan home of the Aurors and Hit Wizards, they could hear the tell-tale voice of Madam Bones.

"I don't care what you were doing, Smith," She roared, clearly angry at something and not in the mood for excuses. "Get in touch with the firm immediately. I'm not having a simply disciplinary hearing turned into a bloody three-ringed circus on my watch."

"Sounds like we've got trouble," it was the first time Harry had heard Ted sound angry. The second came when the man raised his voice to catch the formidable woman's attention over the surrounding noise . "Amelia, by Merlin's beard this had better not be about my client."

"Ted?" The burgundy hair spun as furious as the woman it belonged to. Harry was surprised to see how thin she looked compared to the last time they had spoken. "Thank Merlin you're as punctual as you are annoying. We're being moved to Courtroom Ten for an eight o'clock start. Good morning, Scion Potter."

"Morning, ma'am," Harry replied, totally taken about how she could move from growling furiously one sentence to a pleasant tone the next.

"Courtroom Ten?" Harry didn't like the look on Ted's face and his stomach sank as they followed the angry woman back to the lifts. "It's not a trial! What is that idiot playing at? And moving the time forward."

"What would a ruling in absentia do to your client's reputation and credibility? Especially in front of the entire Wizengamot," Amelia asked, the rhetorical question causing both to scowl. She was glaring at the lift's numbers as though daring them to not to quicken up.

Harry came to realise what the Minister was attempting to do to him and his own anger boiled and bubbled. Instantly he began working on his meditative exercises and Amelia shot Ted a look that screamed approval.

"I would like your client to see me and Unspeakable Croaker after this mess," Amelia told them softly as the lift doors opened to the Department of Mysteries and the Courtrooms.

It was easily agreed to. Madam Bones pretended she hadn't said the same to Tonks, the two men pretended that Dora hadn't passed on the message, and the three quickly walked down the bare corridors with their arses politically covered.

The doors along the hallway were ominous with their large locks. Harry felt as though he was travelling back in time to be put in the dungeons of a feudal lord. Standing in front of what must have been Courtroom Ten were two Aurors on guard and a frantically pacing Nymphadora Tonks.

"Thank Morgana you're here," she cried out as soon as she saw them, her hair spinning wildly from one colour to the next. "It's about to start."

Harry took a glance at the Aurors' faces and realised that they too were angry over what was happening. He didn't know whether it was the general corruption, Madam Bones' supporting him, or that one of their own was being thrown to the wolves. Frankly Harry found he didn't care. He was just glad they were all on the same side.

Amelia threw the large door open with a flourish and stormed into the room as though she owned the place. Ted made sure the three of them were standing to the side, keeping anyone who looked over Madam Bones' shoulder from seeing them, and waited.

"Good, you're finally here," came the annoying voice of the Minister. "Now we can get this hearing underway."

"Now," Ted hissed, marching into the room with Harry and his daughter quickly following behind. Harry caught the smirk of one of the guards as he passed the man.

"I think not, Minister," Edward Tonks' powerful voice boomed. "Would you like to tell me why my client's hearing is in front of the entire Wizengamot? And indeed why you changed the time of this hearing, hearing mind you not a trial, without first informing either of us within the law-demanded forty-eight hour window?

The Courtroom was foreboding, obviously designed to put as much fear into the heart of the accused as possible. The walls were dark stone, made darker by the dim torchlight, and shadows were everywhere. Many of the benches surrounding Harry were cast in them so it was difficult to tell which were filled and which weren't.

Fudge stammered for a moment at the barrage of questions and then his superior attitude reasserted itself. "And you are?"

"Edward Tonks of Fawley and Tonks, Solicitor for Scion Potter and Auror Tonks," Ted replied with even more arrogance than he had used with the wand guard. Dora caught a Malfoy worthy sneer on her daddy's face as he stopped Harry from approaching the single chair. "Madam Bones, why is there a prisoner chair here for an act of underage magic _hearing_?"

"Your question is valid, Mr Tonks," Amelia answered from her new position beside Fudge, making no effort to hide her scowl towards the Minister. "We'll fix this egregious error immediately."

Two Aurors, Harry realised they were the same ones from the door, took the prisoner chair away and replaced it with three normal looking ones. Harry and Ted took their own while Dora stood behind them as though she was their bodyguard.

"Auror?" Fudge frowned in confusion. "Why are you representing an Auror?"

"Why are you having Scion Potter's hearing in front of the Wizengamot?" Ted shot back with fire and fury in his eyes while somehow managing to remain respectful.

"The owl for a change of circumstances was sent out in the appropriate time," Fudge snapped, deciding it was easier to answer the other question. No one missed Dora's snort of disbelief. "Are we ready to proceed?"

"Yes, sir," an all too eager voice declared and Harry's eyes narrowed as they zoned in on Percy Weasley. The immature boy had abandoned his family for career glory and it disgusted Harry. He felt a hand grip his and realised that he had started to growl.

"Disciplinary hearing of the second of August," Fudge's voice rang out and Percy immediately took notes. "Detailing the offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter..."

"Scion Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter," Ted interrupted loud and clear to cut the Minister off. Fudge glared at the solicitor with open hatred and a murmur rose up around them. The Wizengamot might enjoy a show-trial once in a while but only if it was professionally done. The glare-off between solicitor and Minister was broken by an all too familiar voice speaking up from the door.

"Witness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," both Harry and Dora groaned softly, the sounds hidden by the explosion of noise from the watching Wizengamot at the late appearance of the famous wizard.

Dumbledore strode across the room as though it was a stage. Only the most observant would have caught his slight misstep at seeing the two people supporting Harry in his time of need.

"Sorry I'm late, Cornelius. I must have missed your message about the changes. Lucky for everyone I've been here for a few hours."

Dora and Harry shared a look and neither felt comforted.

"Well...yes...good..." Fudge stammered as Dumbledore pulled out his wand to transfigured the remaining chair into something more to his liking.

 _Show off._ Harry thought.

 _Centre of attention_. Ted groaned to himself, leaning close to the wizard. "I'm representing Mr. Potter, Chief Warlock. You understand me?"

"Of course, dear boy," Dumbledore pleasant smile didn't touch the harsh glare of his eyes.

"Well then, back to the charges," Fudge demanded, trying to regain control only for Ted to remind the Minister about his correction.

"Scion Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, Minister. If you are going to charge my client, then do him the honour you would any member of this prestigious body and use his title."

A toad-like woman wearing a horrendously pink cardigan leaned forward and Harry internally cringed. _Morgana, Melania would never be caught dead in something like that!_

"The Chair recognises Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," Fudged announced in what sounded like relief.

"Mr. Potter is not a member of the Wizengamot, Mr. Tonks. It's a shame really," the woman giggled horribly. "I thought a solicitor should know these things."

"Madam Umbridge, you are absolutely correct," Ted answered the idiot woman with his best patronising voice. "My client is _not_ a specific member of the Wizengamot. However his family most certainly _is_. I will remind the bench of the legacy of House Potter if I must. What House Potter has done for this body, and the country as a whole, cannot be underplayed without severe misrepresentation. As such, my client deserves all the respect due his family name even if he has yet to take up the seat awaiting him."

Dumbledore had began to shift uncomfortably as Ted reminded the Wizengamot of exactly who they were trying to railroad and a wave went through the benches at the statement. Some agreed because they had ties to House Potter and refused to see those honourable links besmirched. Some agreed because they simply believed in the statement wholeheartedly, and some were worried that, in not honouring one House, it could mean their own wouldn't get its deserved recognition. Fudge saw which way the mood was turning and followed it like a good politician.

"Disciplinary hearing of the second of August detailing the above offences committed by..." The Minister took a harsh swallow as though forcing down bile before continuing. "Harry James Potter, Scion to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. The charges:

"That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge..."

"Objection." Ted called out once more, causing Fudge to stare at him with a dumbstruck expression. Harry was sure there was a tick developing in the Minister's right eye.

"On what grounds, Mr. Tonks?" Amelia asked in a pleasant tone that clashed with the purple hue of rage the Minister was turning.

"Two counts, Madam Bones," Ted answered, pulling free some paperwork from his ever constant folder. He handed them over to the nearby Auror who then passed them along to Amelia. "The first is that said incident, occurring on the 31st July, 1992, was in fact caused by a house-elf casting magic within the Muggle residence where my client resided."

"Preposterous!" Fudge shouted. Dora wondered if the man knew how to actually talk normally. _Perhaps it's a biological issues_. She mused in the desperate attempt not to giggle at how her daddy was running rings around the entire event. "Of all the likely stories."

"Said house-elf can be called for questioning if the Chair so wishes," Ted continued as though the outburst was an every day thing and Harry grew more impressed by the man with every minute that passed. "However, even if the Chair refutes the facts, it is the second count which must see this charge stricken from my client's record and so reduce the severity of today's hearing."

"And that is?" Madam Bones' voice had taken on a harrowing note as she read the report in front of her.

"You have before you a history of the physical abuse suffered by my client at the residence in question," it had been a long argument but Harry had finally seen the sense in having his abuse on record within the Ministry. He had been looking directly at Dumbledore and saw the tensing of the man's jaw. "The extent of which means that any right minding wizard or witch should understand an explosive bit of accidental magic."

The Courtrooms was filling with noise and Fudge looked as though he was about to pass out with how much blood had raced to his head. Ted passed the Chief Warlock a copy of the report and the man paled significantly at the evidence of the ten dark and difficult years he had deliberately subjected Harry to. An elderly woman stood tall, demanding to be heard, and Harry recognised her a moment before she was announced.

"The bench recognises Dowager Longbottom," Amelia hoarsely called out and there was a cold chill seeping down the spines of many at what they were realising.

"Mr. Tonks, are you saying that the articles printed late last year about Scion Potter were true? That a magical child was treated in such a manner?"

"Every agonising detail, madam," Ted confirmed with obvious sadness. Harry's head dropped at the violent explosion of calls for retribution. The soft touch of Dora's hand on his shoulder made sure he knew he wasn't alone.

"Ridiculous!" Fudge's voice cut through the outrage surrounding them. Sanity seeming to be slipping from the man's eyes and, more than once, spittle rained down from his advanced position. "He looks completely healthy."

Harry's head snapped up and his magic flared, eyes blazing with righteous outrage. The hand on his shoulder tightened and Ted quickly squeezed his wrist to remind him to remain calm.

"Minister, Madam Bones. My client has underdone a massive series of potions to heal the physical traumas and these details are also provided in the paperwork. The physical reports, both pre and post potions, are done by the Hogwarts matron, Madam Pomfrey."

Those watching Dumbledore saw a quick impersonation of a fish out of water as he was hit with the apparent betrayal of his trusted Poppy. Fudge appeared to shrink beneath the solicitor's harsh gaze that was only bettered by the one of fury from Madam Bones.

An elderly man stood, not even bothering to wait to be announced and roared into the heavy silence. "I demand an investigation to this outrage! How dare a member of such a family be mistreated!"

This time the room was filled with the sounds of approval and Amelia immediate called for a vote while Dumbledore and Fudge looked on as mere spectators. Both had their plans going into the trial and both were seeing things unravel at a far too quick pace.

"Motion granted," Amelia announced with the look of a predator on the hunt. "And this body agrees with your motion to dismiss the previous charge, Mr. Tonks. Minister, you may continue."

"What?" Fudge snapped, blinking wildly as he tried desperately to keep up with the changes. "Yes..right... where were we... "

The mood of the Courtroom had drastically shifted even if the Minister hadn't yet noticed. Rather than an interest in seeing how far the hearing would go, the majority now felt a swell of support to the targeted young Scion. Regardless of political or magical affiliation, the level of abuse that had been reported turned almost everyone's stomach.

"...That the defendant did produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, on the twenty-third of July at sixteen minutes past nine, which contributes an offence under paragraph C of the Decree for Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under the Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, and that the defendant also, on the twenty-third of July at seventeen minutes past nine, did also cast an unknown spell of suspected Dark Magic in a Muggle-inhabited area."

Fudged sighed in relief at getting through the long-winded charges without another interruption and glared at Harry. The man's single-minded focus to bring down his enemies blinding his natural political radar. "You are Harry James Potter...Scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter...of Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?"

"He is," Ted answered for Harry.

"You cast an illegal Patronus on the night of the twenty-third of July?" Fudge pushed, desperate for Harry to speak out and incriminate himself.

"He did not," Ted answered with a stern glare.

"What? What nonsense is this? We've got the spell recorded!"

"Mr. Tonks," Amelia cut across Fudge's rant with a deep sigh at the circus happening before her. "Perhaps you could instruct this body as to the reasoning behind your answer?"

"Of course, Madam Bones," Ted answered happily, the attitude completely opposite to what he used to deal with the Fudge. "The question was if my client cast an _illegal_ Patronus, not if he cast _a_ Patronus."

"I fail to see the distinction. The boy is underage!"

"Minister, you are saying my client broke Decree for Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery," Ted explained as though talking to a child. "However I argue it is perfectly reasonable for anyone to defend themselves against a Dementor attack."

"Ah-ha!" Fudge pounced on the argument and Harry was almost disappointed a finger hadn't been pointed at them like an arch criminal from one of Dudley's cartoons. "A brilliant story, yes, brilliant indeed. Your client performs magic that breaks the law and you think up the one thing that can't be proved to defend him."

"You're forgetting I am also representation Auror Tonks who was with Scion Potter at the time. I have here her sworn, signed, statement detailing the attack of four Dementors and how Auror Tonks and Scion Potter were forced to defend themselves against them. Unless you are saying she is lying?"

"Confounded," Fudge desperately argued. "There is no way Dementors could be in Surrey."

"Has there been a recent head count?" Ted innocently asked. "Perhaps some wandered off or left the Ministry services."

"All Dementors are under full Ministry control!" Fudge screamed and then froze as he finally realised what had happened.

The mood was turning nasty and dangerous glares were aimed at the bench. Amelia looked towards her Aurors and gave them a hand signal that spread around the rest of the room. No one noticed the slow and precise withdraw of wands in readiness in case things turned nasty.

"So, what the good Minister is saying," Ted's eyes bore into Fudge's and there was enough of his wife in the look to cause the Ministry to simultaneously rage and quiver. "Is that _if_ there was a Dementor attack upon Scion Potter, then we are looking at an assassination attempt on a Scion of a Noble and Most Ancient House by Ministry controlled creatures?"

The very ideal of the foulest creatures known to Wizarding kind being sent by the Ministry after its enemies sent the Wizengamot into a frenzy that took almost ten minutes to be silenced. Only through the loudest bangs Amelia could produce was she able to regain order while Fudge sweated nervously and Dumbledore preened. Her Aurors were moments from stunning the entire lot when their boss was finally able to take control.

"Mr. Tonks," Madam Bones called once everyone had eventually settled down. "An investigation will be made by the DMLE concluding this hearing as to the veracity of your concerns. This will work alongside but separate to the other investigation on your client's upbringing."

"Thank you, Madam Bones."

She nodded and then sighed again, sounding like she truly hated what she was saying next. "However the case for your client's magic must come first."

Ted had promised Harry that no matter what, he would have a way out of clearing his name. That he always had one more answer to give if the first, second, or third was shot down. Harry had believed him then and even more now, but the emotional roller-coaster of the past month had grown too much.

He found himself tired of it all and tired of being Harry Potter. He wanted out of the Courtroom, out of the Ministry, and to go home with his family so he could curl up as Melania and put aside all the chaos that came with being Harry Potter. He was simply too tired to care about dismantling the charge piece by piece, and so leaned into Ted to whisper.

"Use the clause."

"Are you sure?" Ted immediately frowned, absolutely sure he could get the case dismissed without revealing Harry's Lordship. But the moment he took a hard look at his nephew, he knew he would do as he had been asked. The strong, confident boy was gone and a bone-weary, haggard looking child had replaced him at some point during the morning's events.

"If Mr Potter is capable of performing such a feat as a Patronus," the pink horror spoke up as Ted took stock of Harry's condition. Her told clearly announced she didn't believe that Harry could. "Then is it not possible he confounded the poor dear? Or even used the Imperio to make her believe there were Dementors there?"

Ted fought down his immediate reaction to the insinuation that either his daughter was a liar or the boy he had grown to care about was a dark lord in the making. His eyes slide up to Dora, who was looking at Harry with concern and something deeper, and they silently agreed to get him out of there.

"Wizengamot, esteemed body," Ted called out, pulling out the final piece of paper he had kept in reserve. The same Auror took it and passed it along to Amelia while he continued with the coup de gr _âce_ . "I point you to paragraph C, subsection 2 of the Decree for Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. Namely, and I quote:

"No wizard nor witch within one month prior to their majority can be brought to trial, nor hearing, over the breaking of the Decree as, by the very fact of time, they are within the allotted window recognised by law is needed to become an adult. End quote."

"What gibberish is this?" Fudge cried out and this time he really was confused. The Wizengamot was silent with only a few working out what Ted was telling them. One of those people being Dumbledore.

"What?" The Chief Warlock's cry was louder that the Minister's and far more filled with panic. "He can't be!"

Amelia was smirking as she read what had been handed to her. Those in the crowd narrowed eyes at Dumbledore's reaction and began to make plans.

"My client, as of two days ago, became Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter. There are no living Potters left and, according to our own inheritance laws, such a situation enables the heir to a Noble and Most Ancient House to be emancipated early."

"No..no..." Dumbledore moaned while the Wizengamot buzzed. Harry spotted Neville's Gran grinning wickedly at the turn of events.

"As such, and because there were no Muggles present when the Patronus was cast, a hearing, this hearing, over said casting is illegal and must cease with extreme prejudice," Ted told the room, standing in preparation to leave. Harry happily stood with him and shared a relieved smile with Tonks. "As far as the second charge of the unknown spell, that cannot be investigated in conjunction to the first charge, and must be brought to my client as a separate case. However, for everyone's piece of mind, my client is willing to explain that it is family magic that increases the potency of his Patronus and leave it at that."

"The paperwork is in order," Amelia gleefully announced, relief flooding her. "This hearing is now dismissed, stricken from Lord Potter's record and he has our sincerest apologies for wasting his and everyone else's time."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Lucius Malfoy was dying. The Potter brat had done something to him the night his Lord had returned and he was now nothing but a frail skeleton waiting for its last breath. He still had his white-blond hair, only instead of a proud mane to show off it was a torment to what had been stolen from him. And worse of all, his magic was leaving him.

At first it had been a trickle, then a rush, and now he was fighting to be above Crabbe and Goyle. It had been his idea to have the Potter case held in the Courtroom, the darkness hiding his frail body during the times when his glamour would fail. He wanted to see the boy suffer, to be brought low as he had been. To be destroyed.

How he hated the Blood Traitor Brat.

Narcissa had disappeared. Vanishing to the wind when he took up his right to instruct his son in the proper ways of a Malfoy. Draco absorbed it all, listening like an eager sponge, but even his own flesh and blood struggled to look at him now. His Lord had give up on him, declaring that it was his place to watch the trial while he took Draco off on a special mission. A mission that would somehow give Draco a much better tutor.

How Lucius hated the Blood Traitor Brat.

Seeing the downfall of Harry Bloody Potter was the one thing still keeping Lucius Malfoy going. He would make the boy pay for costing him his elf, the same elf that Mudblood bastard had spoken about earlier. And why did he, the Pure-blood Lord Malfoy, have to look at the disgusting freak standing there with her constantly changing hair and useless blood?

Lucius even hated it when his wife used her own limited Metamorphmagus powers. The ability was a blight upon what a true Pure-blood should be.

Fudge was an idiot in losing control so easily when he should have thrown the brat in irons and off to Azkaban before the Mudblood defending the brat had even opened his mouth. Or even through the Veil.

How he hated the Blood Traitor Brat.

Lucius' mind wasn't working at its best, degrading as it was along with his body. So when Ted Tonks began his final defence, Lucius spent far too long enjoying the sight of a panicking Dumbledore rather than focus on what had actually upset the Leader of the Light. That was until his sluggish thoughts finally caught up with the explanation.

 _The boy's Lord Potter...and the Black's godson...I'll lose control of Narcissa's gold...I'll have nothing..._

His rage grew as the Blood Traitor Brat stood and Lucius knew he had to act.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Dora had given Harry a huge hug at Amelia's announcement. Father and daughter turned to walk away while Harry sent a bow of gratitude to Madam Bones for all her help. Dumbledore was still in his chair, unable to believe that Harry was now Lord Potter, nor could the great wizard understand how it had happened.

Suddenly a decrepit old man stepped forward from the shadows, his hood slipping off to reveal familiar silver-blond hair, and a wand attempted to finish what it had started two years prior.

"For the Dark Lord! _Corrumpatur!_ "

Amelia shouted a warning, her own wand raising. The two Aurors closest to Harry were already moving to fire back. Dora spun, hers dropping into her waiting palm. Four powerful stunners flew towards their target while Harry, his reflexes and thoughts sluggish from his emotional state, turned with a frown to see who had shouted.

Lucius Malfoy made a harsh slashing movement with his wand and a streak of purple flame ripped through Harry at the exact moment four stunners collided into the aged chest. Malfoy's body, already on the verge of breaking down from the powerful cost of turning on House Potter, couldn't take the overload of magic.

Lucius Malfoy, once the most powerful man in politics, was dead before he hit the floor.

Harry stood for a moment after the curse's impact, confusion marring his young features, and then the curse developed by Antonin Dolohov ripped through his internal organs. Lord Potter collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut as one of the most lethal battle-spells in modern memory attempted to destroy him from the inside-out.

"Get him out of here, Tonks!" Amelia screamed above the eruption of chaos. "LOCKDOWN! CLOSE THE DOORS!"

Nymphadora Tonks didn't think. She didn't want to think. Even before Bones' order, Dora was lunging for her fallen friend and activated her emergency Auror portkey. The two friends, one deathly still, vanished as magic pulled them away moments before the command from the DMLE Head sealed Courtroom Ten off from the world.

The Wizengamot was in uproar at the apparent assassination of one of their own by one of their own. The Aurors, already on standby by their boss' earlier warning, were sending sparks and flashes of light everywhere to regain order. Stunners were threatened at those who refused to calm down and the highest members of society soon learned that the lock-down kept anyone without an Auror badge from being able to use their magic.

Amelia looked around the chaos and knew that the state of the political world was about to change for good. She pushed the horrible sight of a fallen Harry aside and strode into the centre of the Courtroom to issue orders.

Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge sat back and barely held in their smirks of delight at the way things had turned out, not realising that it was the beginning of a true pyrrhic victory.

Albus Dumbledore only had one thought in mind as he sat frozen while the world crashed and burned around him. What did this mean for the prophecy?

.

.

oOoOo


	23. Under the Floorboards and Far Away

**AN: Well it was certainly not my intent to leave you all hanging as long as I have. My PC had to go in for repair for over a month and my backup laptop ended up also needed to be looked at. You'll be glad to hear that both are back, working fine, and nothing was lost.**

 **Harry's plan was a slow burn to introduce Melania throughout the coming year so that the two of them would be known at the same time and then after his OWLs he was going to vanish for "training" while Lady Black took over. You can always trust a Malfoy to ruin the best laid plans!**

 **I've had a few messages about the split identity between Harry and Melania. I'm sorry but a gender switch is not simply putting Harry's personality into a female body. While his very core identity might not change, everything else does. It's simply the way I'm writing this.**

 **Madrigal-in-training - I enjoy a good pensieve/veritaserum trial scene but this one had to play out as it did for a number of reasons that will make themselves known by the first day back at Hogwarts. House Black will get retribution on its enemies towards Sirius' mistreatment though you might be surprised what happens with Draco. The Percy scene hasn't made the cut but I'll do my best to write an outtake one for you at some stage.**

 **So now it's on to how people respond to the attack on Harry. Enjoy and feel free to leave a message if you have questions.**

* * *

Under the Floorboards and Far Away

 _2nd August, 1995_

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries worked side-by-side with the DMLE ever since two friends became driving forces of each. The very plush private ward for the High Society and key Ministry personnel was only the face of the link between the those who held the fabric of the Wizarding society together.

Everyone within the DMLE had priority unless there was an emergency. From secretaries to lowly clerks, they each had the a shield of protection that working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement provided. Nowhere more was this the case than for those who put their lives on the line for the innocents. For each and every Auror and Hit Wizard/Witch their proud badges were emergency portkeys linked to a hidden ward constantly monitored for incoming injured.

It was a system that had gradually been rolled throughout the Corps after a brain storming session between Andromeda Tonks and Amelia Bones. The former used her position within St. Mungo's to make sure her daughter's portkey had its own unique flavour.

So it was that Andromeda, not wanting to spend the day at home while her family was facing off against the Wizengamot, had taken the morning shift for the special ward. Her partner that morning was Jessica Young, a Half-blood who had only recently been given the wonderful news of pregnancy. Andi had taken great delight in sharing as many tales of her daughter's early years as she could to the eager ears of the younger woman.

When the alarm sounded in their small office, the two had barely moved before Andromeda's own alarm vibrated in her pocket. Her maternal instincts had her speeding towards the arrival room with Jessica mere heartbeats behind.

Andi was drowning in fear. Had He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named attacked the Ministry? Did a sympathiser attacked her baby? Images of her husband and daughter dead threatened to destroy the strong woman's sanity. And then she crashed through the swing doors and what she found was both better and far worse than she had feared.

"Don't you dare, Harry!" Dora screamed, her wand casting wildly as Andromeda's baby girl tried all the emergency healing spells she knew. "Don't you dare die on me. You hear me. DON'T YOU DARE!"

Andromeda's training kicked in and she was already dropping beside her daughter before her brain caught up with what she was seeing. Her wand in hand, she was already casting scanning spells as she turned to her daughter.

"Dora, I need to know what happened," she demanded as Jessica dropped beside them. "Dora!"

"Mum, save him," Dora cried, the tears flowing uncontrollably. The shock and emotional distress already forcing the Metamorphmagus to revert back into her base form. "Please. You have to do something."

Andromeda focused on what her diagnostic spells were telling her, knowing that her daughter wasn't aware enough to help. As the information magically flashed in front of her eyes, she realised two things; that it would take everything she knew and a good amount of luck to save Harry, and that she couldn't do it St. Mungo's without the threat of his body shifting into Melania. The second issue also immediately threw out Grimmauld Place as a safe haven. It's magic was too focused on being claimed and could too easily force the change. That left only one option.

"Kreacher! Dobby! Winky!" Three pops led to three elves crying out in fear at seeing the state of their Harry. Andromeda ignored them to turn to the already confused Jessica. "He was never here and this never happened. I was called away on family business. We clear, Jess?"

The brunette wanted to argue and then she looked into the piercing eyes of her mentor and was reminded exactly what family the other woman was from. She swallowed hard and nodded. The only thought in her head was that _Harry Bloody Potter_ was dying in front of her.

"Kreacher, take us to my home," Andromeda commanded, dismissing Jessica instantly after receiving the nod. "Winky, Dobby, I need the two of you to get Sirius and Remus. I don't care what they're doing but you bring them to me, _Now!_ "

"Kreacher hear, Kreacher obey," the Black elf declared while the other two vanished. As Andromeda, Harry and the almost catatonic Dora were elf-popped out of the emergency room, Jessica was finally able to move.

She had people to tell. Harry Potter had been attacked!

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Sirius was in the midst of an epic retelling of one of his school adventures. It might have only passingly resembled what actually happened but there was no one around who knew the truth. And the Weasley twins were enjoying the exaggerations as much as he enjoyed making them.

Anything to keep them from thinking over what was happening that morning.

A pop interrupted a wild arm movement and Sirius spun around to see the crying form of Dobby.

"Master Harry Potter Sirs dogfather come with Dobby now," the emotional elf demand. "Dogfather must save Master Harry Potter Sir!"

Sirius barely had time to comprehend what had been said before he was taken away. The twins shared a look and then sped out of the library. One heading to the Floo while the other raced up the stairs. They had people to tell.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Remus had decided some fresh air and shopping would be the best thing to keep him from thinking about his cub's meeting. A leisurely walk through Diagon Alley, and maybe a little side stop through Knockturn, would be a good way of keeping himself from going crazy in the Black House. As much as the Marauder wanted to be there to support Sirius, Moony needed some way of keeping his own thoughts from travelling to the worst case scenario over Harry's hearing.

There was no fanfare about the way Winky collected Remus. No declarations announcing to those around him that something was wrong. The little elf was far too worried about her Little Master to care. Instead she popped in beside him and whisked him and his shopping bags away from the conversation with the helpful cashier of Flourish and Blott's.

The man blinked once at the vanishing of his customer and then turned to the next one. The gentleman would be back. Or not.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Narcissa Malfoy had initially found herself floating without a rudder. For so long she had defined herself a dutiful daughter, then Lady Malfoy, and finally a caring if not loving mother. Now though, having taken the decision to walk away from her second family and back into the arms of her first, she felt in desperate need of something for herself.

That morning had seen her enjoying the solitude by reading a potions book she had found in her sister's collection. It wasn't the first she had lifted from the shelves and wouldn't be the last as a long-forgotten desire to get her Potions Mastery grew with every chapter read. She had been taking detailed notes as she read and was about to add to their copious amount when she heard her sister screaming for help. The proper Pure-blood woman threw aside the book and raced barefooted into the house towards its small infirmary. It was only Narcissa's years of self-control, learned through hard experience, that kept her mind from blanking out when she saw the prone form of Lord Potter.

Andi shot off a list of potions and Narcissa immediately moved into action, pulling everything her sister needed from the open cupboard. The more that were called for, the paler Narcissa became as she recognised exactly what they were facing.

The elf pops behind her did nothing to distract her strained exclamation.

"Andi...that's Dolohov's Curse."

"Merlin..." Remus swore behind her as far too many memories of the first war came to mind.

"Not my pup," Sirius snarled in fury, his magic pulsing wildly as he pushed past his cousin without really seeing her. The jolt was hard enough that she dropped some of the vials and only Moony's superior reflexes saved the much needed potions. "Not my Melania."

The man who could have been Lord Black whipped his wand out to perform intricate movements that immediately combated the corrosive effects of the curse.

"Cissy, I need those damn potions!" Andromeda snapped to bring the youngest Black sister to attention after hearing Sirius' slip. "You know this spell?"

"The Dolohov Special." The three answered in unison.

"Explain. Now," she demanded, taking a potion from Remus to gently force it down Harry's unresponsive throat. "I don't care who but I need answers."

The answers came fast and detailed. Sirius and Remus had seen the effects of the Dolohov Special far too often in their fight against the Death Eaters and had been force into trial-and-error healing that had been only sometimes successful. Narcissa had heard of the dreaded spell because of its creator bragging to Lucius of its superiority over Severus' _Sectumsempra_. Her husband had wined and dined the vile man until he drunkenly provided the counter-curse and, as the dutiful wife, she had faithfully learned it.

Nymphadora Tonks simply stood in a corner of the room with her arms tightly wrapped around her shaking body. She couldn't take her eyes of the far too still body the three worked over and her mind constantly replayed seeing the deadly curse hit the boy who meant so much to her.

 _Just please be okay_. She prayed, silently promising to both Merlin and Morgana that Harry could see her real eyes as often as he wanted as long as he survived. _Please be okay_.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _Courtroom Ten_

"Amelia, what is this?" Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, cried out as he finally realised his DMLE Head had taken over the room.

"This, Cornelius?" The woman barked from her position beside the obviously shaken Ted Tonks. The chaos around them quickly hushed as everyone in the room watched. "This is me exercising I _ustita et iure_."

The Right of Justice and Law. When certain members of the Wizengamot stood up to temporarily retake their power from the bureaucratic system in order to see honour satisfied.

"Hem-hem," the falsetto voice of Dolores Umbridge interrupted the glares between the two most powerful members of the Wizengamot. Clad in her pink cardigan, she leaned forward with a fake smile plastered over the obvious fear Amelia saw in her eyes. "I'm afraid you can't."

"Madam Umbridge," The commanding cry of Augusta Longbottom brought all eyes bar Amelia's to the Longbottom chair. Dowager Longbottom's fury fully ablaze after what she had witnessed, the sight far too similar to the night she had lost her Frank and Alice. The anger helped keep away the thought of how Neville would take the news of the attack on his friend. "I'm afraid it is _you_ who is wrong. The call for _Iustita et iure_ needs two things."

"Yes, yes," the toad-woman interrupted with a wave of her plump hand and it was only the fact the Courtroom was still in lock-down that kept Augusta from turning her wand on the obnoxious gnat. As it was, her glare rivalled Amelia's in its intensity. "A member of the Sacred Blood-lines must propose it and it can only go to a vote once a..."

Umbridge blinked stupidly and slow-turned towards the now wolfishly grinning Amelia. A ripple went through the watching Aurors as they saw the true strength of their leader breaking free of its bureaucratic chains.

"I, Lady Amelia Bones of the Ancient House of Bones, call forth a proposal for _Iustita et iure,_ " she formally announced to the Wizengamot and people were quickly reminded how it was she rose up through the ranks of the DMLE and why the House of Bones was one to be feared. "And I, Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, do hereby second the motion."

A bright flash of magic filled the room as the very foundations of what had created the Ministry answered the ancient call for justice.

"It doesn't matter!" Fudge screamed having finally found his voice. The sweat poured off the Minister and the Aurors closest to him wrinkled their noises at the stench of fear he was giving off. "You need the entire Wizengamot to agree!"

"Not quite, Cornelius," Dumbledore corrected. The elder wizard had been pulled out of his daze by the pulse of magic and he immediately looked to regain control of the situation. "But Amelia does need an agreement from the spectrum of our illustrious body."

And here was the only weakness in Amelia's plan as she glared at the smirking Chief Warlock. The entire _Iustita et iure_ process could only be followed through once the three magical parts of the Wizengamot agreed. She knew she had just put her entire career on the chopping block if she didn't get the backing her proposal needed.

Amos Diggory was immediately to his feet. He had watched Harry be hit by the spell and the image constantly replayed itself in his mind. Except it was Cedric who fell, it was Cedric who would never again laugh at his father's silly jokes and smile at his mother's nerves. If this was all he could do for Harry Potter, then by Merlin's beard Amos was going to do it.

"House Diggory stands for the Light and agrees to the call."

A low tone filled the room at the declaration and magical pressure began to build in the air.

Cyrus Greengrass had heard and seen enough. He had been unsure about his daughter's friendship with the Golden Gryffindor, the indecision lasting up until Malfoy's spell. What he couldn't argue against was that the boy had taken everything like a true Potter and stood tall. For that alone, Cyrus stood. Retribution was coming.

"House Greengrass stands for the Grey and agrees to the call."

A second, higher tone joined the first and people found it a struggle to breath.

There had once been four proud men who thought they could change the world. Charlus Potter, Arcturus Black, Abraxas Malfoy and Augustine Lestrange. The men had seen the world burn during the forties and the last had watched as good friends and better enemies fell to both sides during the Blood War of the seventies. Augustine knew the Dark Lord had returned and wanted nothing to do with what was coming. He, more than most, understood the hypocrisy spouted by the Half-blooded bastard.

Augustine waited long enough for both Dumbledore and Fudge to feel comfortable that no one from the Dark would stand and then rose. King Canute would stop the tides this time.

"House Lestrange stands for the Dark and agrees to the call."

The shocked gasps were drowned out by the third magical tone that merged with the two. There was a new flash of magic and a voice from nowhere and everywhere spoke out: _Iustita et iure is in progress. May the wand chastise the quill._

All eyes were on Augustine Lestrange and no one could believe it was he who had stood. Amelia and Ted shared a look and then gave the man a respectful bow. No doubt questions, and favours, would be talked of later.

"Minster Cornelius Fudge," Amelia's voice filled the room and beneath it were the low hum of thousands of past Wizengamot members speaking through her. "This _Iustita et iure_ has been called to determine your role in the assassination attempt of a Lord of a Noble and Most Ancient House."

"It was Malfoy!" Fudge screeched in protest, eager to ignore the fact he was notorious for being in the dead man's pocket.

"I place you under a ninety-day suspension and name you figurehead only until an investigation over your involvement in the attacks upon Houses Potter and Black. Run and you prove yourself guilty. Run and the power of your position shall strip you of your magic. Are we all in agreement?"

A low "We are," echoed around the Courtroom as the members of the Wizengamot declared its judgement. No one dared trying to fight the magic at work.

"Perfect, Amelia!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together as though it was his idea the entire time. He was once again the powerful and eccentric wizard and no trace of the frightened man of earlier could be seen in his colourful persona. "Now, perhaps you could also cancel the little assessment of my role in Hogwarts?"

Amelia Bones turned her powerful gaze at him and for the first time in decades he knew true fear. Something far greater than himself looked out from behind her eyes.

"Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore," she spoke and the watching Houses shifted in their seats at what they were witnessing. "You allowed the Scion to a Noble and Most Ancient House to be abused. You claimed to be in the Ministry hours prior to this hearing yet had not contacted Lord Potter about the change of details towards this farce. For your actions and inactions around the attacks upon Houses Potter and Black, the assessment shall continue. You shall be investigated and, if proven guilty of moving against the Houses, the full weight of Justice shall crush your soul. Are we all in agreement?"

This time the agreement came sporadically as those in attendance saw lines in the sand being drawn. The look Amelia gave the Chief Warlock would have cause any other to crumble beneath its intensity. The powerful man stood tall and proud against the accusations knowing in his heart that he was innocent of everything. He only did what he had to for the Greater Good.

In the end, it was the arrogance and fury he showed those watching that condemned him in the eyes of the Wizengamot.

"Then if there no objections, I bring this moment of _Iustita et iure_ to a close. Courtroom, RELEASE!"

The room flashed once again to signal the end of the process and the magical restraints over the room lifted. Amelia blinked and the strange power that had been speaking through her seeped away as quickly as it had taken her over. If not for the ready support of Ted beside her she would have stumbled at the comedown of magic. Her Aurors watched both Fudge and Dumbledore, ready and eager to protect their boss in case either accused felt like using their wands.

The Minister hadn't moved since his part had been declared. He knew his role within the government was over and he knew he had finally done what Sirius Black II had threatened. The Fudges were effectively over.

Albus Dumbledore glared furiously at Amelia and for a breath moment had been tempted to blast the witch away for her insolence. Only the need to check on the prophecy curtailed his anger and he stormed from the Courtroom in order to check on the orb.

"You should rest, Amelia," Ted told her, worry etched on his friendly features. She quickly pulled herself from his grip and stood tall on pure stubbornness alone.

"I'll rest when I'm done, Ted," she told him, waving the grizzled form of Alastor Moody forward. "Now get out of here and make sure there's good news to tell me about Lord Potter."

Ted Tonks didn't need to be told twice.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _France – The same day._

Gabriel Delacour stormed through the halls of the French Ministry like a man on a mission. Whispers of a Dementor attack on Harry Potter had reached the mainland and a Floo call to Amelia Bones had confirmed it. To Gabriel's disgust, she had also confirmed the travesty of a hearing that his ally would be put under.

He hadn't been too worried about the outcome. The young man had a permanent place open at Beauxbatons in thanks for saving Gabrielle's life and Gabriel had even been debating whether to offer Harry the position even if the hearing ended in his favour. That was until the link between himself and Harry's ring went crazy. Someone had attacked an ally of the Delacours within the British Ministry itself!

Gabriel nodded to Jacqueline as he passed the secretary and opened the door to the French Minister for Magic's office. The two men were old friends and Gabriel was one of the only people with a standing invitation to enter when it suited.

¬"Gabriel, whatever brings you here this early?"¬ Marc Deschamps asked from behind his simple desk. ¬Gabriel? Are you well?¬

¬"Harry Potter's hearing was this morning,"¬ Gabriel replied, barely suppressing his anger. He needn't have bothered, his friend could see the rage simmering in Gabriel's posture.

He could barely control himself as he felt Harry's life force fluctuating. Someone was obviously performing healing magic but so far he couldn't tell how successful it was being.

¬"I remember,"¬ Deschamps frowned, disgusted with his British counterpart. ¬"It has caused quite a stir with some of the other Ministers."¬

¬He has been seriously attacked,"¬ Gabriel informed his friend, subtly tapping his thumb against the ornate family ring he wore. Marc Deschamps was one of the only people outside of Gabriel's family who knew of and benefited from the same protection he had given Harry.

¬"What can I do?"¬

¬"Honour demands I go to his side."¬

¬"Your family will not wish to be left behind,"¬ Marc reminded his friend, thinking fast. ¬"Perhaps a side-ways promotion? A temporary change of liaisons between us and the chip-eaters."¬

¬"You have my thanks, my friend."¬

¬"Remember, Gabriel. We cannot officially aid the boy, not if his own government is against him. Especially so if that disgusting bigot is influencing things from the shadows."¬

The message was loud and clear and Gabriel gave his first smile of the day. ¬"Vive la resistance, my brother."¬

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

It took long into the evening before Andromeda was satisfied with Harry's condition. He was still unconscious and she was prepared for a rough night, but she was at least comfortable enough in his health to finally rest her feet.

Nymphadora was curled up asleep on the couch. Her emotions had driven her into exhaustion long before the shock had worn off and it had taken Ted to gently pull their daughter into the living room. Andi's positive declaration had Remus give her a bear-hug of Molly Weasley proportions before he Floo'd off back to Grimmauld Place to inform the waiting crowd.

The elves had been frantic, inconsolable, and demanded to know how their young Master had been hurt. The moment it was explained that it was Lucius who had cursed Harry, Dobby had screeched in fury and vanished. The other two quickly promised to find and subdue the elf before he did something that would reflect badly on House Black. Though Kreacher's wicked gleam suggested he was more in favour of offering Dobby ideas than stopping anything from happening.

Sirius was pacing back and forth, sitting on his chair for a minute only to pounce up and storm into the room where Harry slept. The frantic Marauder would then rush out again when the sight of his godson in a magical coma became too much, collapse in the chair and have the cycle repeat. Narcissa finally decided to end the dizzying routine by stepping in front of his latest journey back.

"Cissy?" Sirius frowned in confusion and Andromeda feared the stress was throwing her cousin back into his early days after Azkaban.

"Sirius Orion Black," the now fully dark-haired Narcissa said in her sternest voice and everyone cringed. _All three names_. Ted mouthed to his wife who nodded in sympathy. "You will tell me exactly why you called Harry 'your Melania' and you will tell me now."

The silence was heavy and her glare unrelenting. Perhaps if Ted or Andromeda had spoken up, or if he had been in a better frame of mind, Sirius could have deflected the question. But they didn't and he wasn't. So it was in a broken voice that he explained how Harry Potter and Melania Black were the same body.

Andromeda thought that Narcissa took it surprisingly well. No confusion, no disgust at the strange and downright experimental magic Lily Potter had performed. In fact, Andromeda was incredibly impressed by her sister's reaction. She was doubly impressed by the very loud and powerful slap that sent their cousin sprawling onto the floor.

"Sirius Black, you Gryffindor idiot," Cissy snapped, stalking away from the downed Sirius to poor herself an extremely large brandy.

"What in Morgana's name?" He began only to cringe when she spun to face him.

"Yes, exactly," Narcissa snarled, her eyes blazing with fury as she faced him. "Morgana, Sirius. She, who was part of our Family."

Sirius scrambled to his feet in clear confusion that only angered Narcissa more.

"That child in there," she screamed, pointing towards the room in question. "Is a Black! That child, whether Harry bloody Potter or Melania damned Black, should have been looked after and protected."

The verbal onslaught had Sirius wincing at how right she was. Narcissa downed her glass in one determined gulp and then took a painful grip of his jaw. Those watching winced as she pulled Sirius closer, her voice dripping with venom.

"You decide to give her up for Cousin Jamie. Idiotic but fine. But the moment he and Lily were killed, you were obligated to make sure that child was cared for."

Sirius gapped at her, his eyes wide at the scolding. As soon as Cissy released him, he collapsed next to the now fully awake Dora. The Marauder's tears flowed but Narcissa wasn't letting her idiot cousin off that easily.

"I assume that's why you brought Harry here?" She demanded of Andi who could only nod as she had flashbacks of their childhood.

Bella had always been the one with the dangerous temper, Andromeda the passionate one while Cissy remained the calm and controlled sister. However that meant when the youngest girl exploded, the oldest two were forced to listen.

"And you, Ted? I take it there is paperwork for both Harry and Melania so the child has a choice."

"There is," he answered calmly, taking a sip of his own brandy as though there wasn't a raging force of nature glaring at him. "You want to know if a choice has been made?"

"I do," She confirmed with a glare towards Sirius so the man knew to be silent. As it was he was in too much shock at the dressing down to interrupt her.

"Melania," Dora answered for her father and then shrunk beneath her aunt's penetrating gaze. It was too much like her mother's for comfort. "Harry told me how it was getting harder to change back, harder to _want_ to change back from being Melania."

"Then this family will close ranks and support Melania Black," Narcissa declared and no one doubted she would put them in their place if they didn't do exactly that. "We will teach, support and follow our Lady Black and bring down the wrath of Black Vengeance upon all who dared harm that girl. It's time people remembered why you never wanted this Family as its enemy."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

3rd August, 1995

Amelia Bones was run off her feet. She'd been on the go practically the entire time since the attack on Harry Potter, only able to stop when she Floo'd home to inform Susan of what happened.

In one fell swoop she had de-fanged the Minister, put Dumbledore on notice for his influence over Lord Potter's life and the biggest financial backer of You-Know-Who had died from multiple stunners. She only wished it had not come about from an assassination attempt on one Harry Potter.

News of the attack spread like wildfire across Magical Britain. Initial reports out of St. Mungo's was that the Boy-Who-Lived had died only for Amelia to get a message from House Black that he was unconscious but currently alive. A quick meeting with Croaker confirmed it.

"I promise, Amelia," he had been in and out of the Hall of Prophecies multiple times to check on one specific orb and it remained as brightly misty as ever. "It would have gone dark if Lord Potter was dead or dying."

That was good enough for her and she had immediately put out a public announcement on Lord Potter's status.

Yes, he was alive and being looked after. No, no one was allowed to see him. Because he was in a private Black property being looked after by the best help money could buy, that's why!

The statement would keep the vultures away for only so long before they tried again.

If Harry Potter's health wasn't enough of a worry throughout the land, the revelation of a mass breakout from Azkaban sent everyone into a full panic mode. Fudge had attempted to blame Sirius Black for some of the most dangerous Death Eaters alive to now be free but she had quickly shot _that_ down with her own public report. A few dropped hints about a lack of trial for Sirius and a new investigation into Halloween '81 sent the pack of jackals wild with theories.

It was times like these that Amelia shuddered in disgust and thought of packing the entire Ministry thing in. Which was when Alastor would usually smack her around the head and remind her that they needed as many honest people in the DMLE as possible.

Croaker had come with good and bad news. The attempts to use Ravenclaw's diadem as a way of searching out for any more horcruxes was coming up against a wall. His results showed that there _were_ more, but so far refused to help show _where_ they were hidden. They were still working on finding out how many the madman had made.

Amelia pushed it all to the back of her mind as she calmly knocked on the door in front of her. She had someone to see about a Lord. The door was opened by Auror Tonks, puffy-eyed and looking ready to drop, but still with her wand at the ready.

"Boss?" The exhausted Metamorphmagus asked in surprise. Amelia thought it was a good thing she wasn't a Polyjuiced fake or else her Auror would be in trouble.

"I've come to see how he is, Tonks," Amelia told the girl, making to step into the house only for her own Auror to point the wand in her face. "Auror?"

"What was the first assignment you gave me," Tonks demanded, clearly ready to curse if given the wrong answer. "And how did we communicate?"

"Really?" Amelia asked with a raised eyebrow. Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as Tonks stepped back to fall into a duelling stance. _So apparently she wouldn't be in trouble after all._ "I asked you to go undercover to protect Harry Potter and we used connected journals."

"Sorry, Boss," Tonks sheepishly apologised as she relaxed and let Amelia in. "Can't be too careful."

"Understood."

"Err...Boss?" Tonks blinked as she suddenly remembered something important and looked deeper into the house. "Do you mind waiting here for a bit?"

"Sirius is here, isn't he," Amelia sighed, once again having to put aside her role as a law enforcement agent for the man she had loved. "It's okay, Tonks, I'm not going to arrest him."

Tonks was saved from trying to work out what to do by an approaching Andromeda who gave Amelia a small smile.

"Long time, Amel. I thought I heard your voice."

"How is he, Andi?" The two women shared a hug and kisses on the cheek much to Dora's surprise.

"Stable but unconscious. I've got him in a magical coma until I'm comfortable with the potions' work," Andi explained as she led her old friend into the kitchen where a tired Narcissa was sipping at her cup of tea as she continued to read the potions book.

"Good morning, Lady Malfoy," Amelia said with only a moment of hesitation. The woman looked up from her reading and gave a quick nod back.

"I prefer Black now, Madam Bones," she answered, putting the reading material aside so she could pour a cup for Amelia. Andromeda scooped up the bottle of Firewhiskey that was sitting on the kitchen top and added a sprinkling of the alcohol into it before handing it over to the Head of the DMLE. "Especially after what happened yesterday."

"Thank you," Amelia nodded at Andromeda and then took the seat while Tonks looked on in silence at how comfortable her boss and mother were together. "I don't know if you've been informed but Lucius died in the attack."

"Couldn't have happened to a more deserving man," Narcissa Malfoy, hopefully soon-to-be Black, sniffed.

"I think we've broken my poor daughter," Andromeda chuckled as Dora kept looking back and forward between the three women. "You didn't know I knew Amel from Hogwarts?"

"I didn't...well I guess..." Dora tried to say only to set all of all three laughing. She blushed wildly and stormed out of the kitchen like an angry teenager.

"She isn't handling this too well," Andi confessed with worry.

"I'm guessing he's with Harry?" Amelia asked, the open nervousness she showed would have surprised everyone at the Ministry.

"He is," Andi nodded. "He won't leave Harry's side for long, won't let himself rest. Not surprising really."

Amelia took off her monocle, dropping it carelessly onto the table with an exhausted sigh, and rubbed at her tired eyes in frustration.

"It's not going to be easy to clear his name."

"He doesn't care about that," Narcissa pouted out.

"I do," Amelia snapped, only to sigh again. Andromeda squeezed her hand in support.

"Go see him."

Amelia nodded and rose with some type of smile for the two sisters and headed off to where she knew the man in question was sitting vigil.

"Interesting," was all Narcissa said in response, once more sipping her tea and book.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Amelia eased open the door to see a haggard Sirius slowly rocking back and forth on his chair. He was clasping one of Harry's hands in both of his and by the obviously silently praying for his godson's health if his lips were any indication.

"You look terrible, Siri," she spoke up softly from her position. Sirius' head snapped up and for a minute there was a spark of happiness in his grey eyes at seeing her before the pain and worry took it away.

"Hello, Aim. Long time?"

"Too long," she agreed, knowing he wasn't talking about the end of the third task. She moved closer to stand at the foot of Harry's bed. The boy, no Lord she corrected, was grey and barely looked to be breathing. His topless body showed far too many scars for someone of fifteen and there was a new one beneath the sternum from the attack.

"Andi says any higher and it would have withered his heart," Sirius croaked out when he saw what she was looking at. "Lucy never could aim worth a damn."

Amelia didn't know what to say to that. She looked to where Sirius held the hand and saw another scar on the inside of the arm. "What in Merlin's beard made that?"

"Basilisk," Sirius' chuckle sounded more a giggle on the edge of insanity. "Kid knows how to get the most interesting ones, doesn't he?"

She was immediately standing next to Sirius and pulled him close. The Marauder's emotional control broke as he buried his face into her stomach. Her familiar scent that had once given him such a sense of peace, now brought relief. Amelia rubbed his back and made soothing, meaningless noises until the sobs and tears eased. She realised he was finally succumbing to exhaustion and carefully drew her wand to transfigure the chair into a small bed. Without breaking her contact, she eased them both onto the soft mattress and held her beau as he slept.

Her own stress and tiredness over the past twenty-four hours caught up with her. Amelia never realised that Narcissa had slipped a small potion into her tea that was activated by the Firewhiskey. It was a potion that brought relaxation and sleep to those who needed it and she was soon asleep with Sirius in her protective arms.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _Elsewhere_

A normal Scion to one of the great Houses did not use the Knight Bus. A normal Scion to one of the great Houses did not race across the country in a nondescript cloak to find a building that looked like a chess piece.

Neville Longbottom was not a normal Scion to one of the great Houses, especially after being beneath Harry's wing the past school year. He stepped off the Knight Bus at Ottery St. Catchpole and, with a jaw set in determination, made his way towards the Rookery. He had a promise to keep to his sick brother and would not be found wanting.

He withdrew his wand as he approached the Lovegood house. For a moment he could only stare at the stick, remembering the day Professor Sprout had taken him to get it. Happiness and pride rose up only to wither at mass of fear and anger he had been feeling since yesterday.

"Point me," he commanded, using the same spell the group of friends had practised with Harry for the third task. It was another testament to Harry's influence on his life that his magic came so much easier now. The wand swivelled a little in his hand and then drew him away from the Rookery.

He moved with purpose through the trees that stood proudly near the home. Anyone who had seen the skittish and shy boy of eleven, the same one who had lost his pet toad before even reaching Hogwarts, would never have accepted that the powerful and confident young Lord-to-be stalking through the woods was the same child.

Neville found his target in a small clearing, knelling in front of a perfectly maintained headstone. The wispy blonde hair was sticking out at odd angles and the girl had the remains of a bouquet of flowers scattered around her.

"Please mummy," Luna Lovegood sniffled and Neville had a sinking feeling it was not the first time she had said the words. "Please don't take Harry yet. Please. I don't want to be alone again, mummy. Please, not again."

Neville's heart broke at the lost sobs and they drew him in when the scene would have kept others away. He moved carefully, reverently, closer and knelt down beside the crying and hiccuping girl. She looked at him with her wide eyes lost and filled with pain. Neville immediately pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're not alone, Luna," he promised her, swearing to it with intent and magic. "You won't be alone again."

It took some time but gradually Neville Longbottom would learn the history of Pandora Lovegood and the tragedy of a nine year old girl watching her mother die. In return Neville would talk of his own childhood and the pain of looking into the empty eyes of his parents.

In the small clearing, bathed in the soothing warmth of the sun, two lost children were able to find something beyond their innermost pain.

.

.

oOoOo

.

 _._

Pain. Severus Snape was in pain and it was all that fool Lucius' fault.

The Dark Lord had felt immensely smug over choosing the day of Potter's trial to free his followers only to then find out Malfoy had attempted to kill the boy. Severus wasn't sure if it was the actual attempt or the idiot's declaration of open support of the Dark Lord that angered the feared wizard the most. In the end it didn't matter. When it was announced that the curse thrown had been the Dolohov Special, the Dark Lord had lost what remained of his mind.

The yew wand was no more. What had began in the cemetery had finally finished beneath the power and viciousness of the endless Crucios that sent the entire inner circle to write in agony on the hard floor. The most feared wand in modern times crumbled in the too-long fingers and sent the Dark Lord screaming in outrage once more.

He then summoned one of his servants' wands - all Severus knew was that it wasn't his – and continued the blind lashing out. Even through another's wand the spell had been enough to cause many to scream in pain. Those who didn't, faked it.

Which was why Severus sat alone in the dark within his Hogwarts private quarters doped out of his mind. The anti-Cruciatus potion had dulled the pain and eased the shakes to the best of its ability but not even a Potions Master of Severus' talents had found a true solution to the terrible curse. He had taken pain relief potions along with the anti-Cruciatus one, something no medi-witch would ever allow, and the two clashed inside Severus' system as violently as the Dark Lord's tantrum.

Thankfully he had a second potion on standby to heal the effects of mixing the first two, and a flushing potion in case his _other_ master called.

Though at that moment, nursing a large tumbler of bourbon and staring at one of the only pictures of a very young Lily Evans still in existence, Snape wouldn't have cared if both had turned up at the same time to destroy his laboratory.

"Have I failed you, Lily?" He asked the darkness as he ran a thumb over her smiling face. "Things were changing, I was changing. I swear...if he survives, I will do everything I can to support him."

Severus downed the glass and slammed it onto his table, his vision blurring enough to make him ready for the disgusting flushing potion.

"And if you see him soon," the Hogwarts dungeon Bat snarled. "I'll do everything I can to kill them all."

And only Severus and the ghost of the child that was Lilly Evens' memory knew the great and powerful Albus Dumbledore was included in his mental list.

.

.

oOoOo

.

 _._

Hermione Granger, so-called Smartest Witch of Her Age, bookworm, know-it-all, Muggle-born friend to a surprising number of Pure-blood wizards and witches, was falling apart.

It had been a terrifying day of fears and wild imaginations after Sirius' hasty departure by elf. Everyone was on edge, fearful and panic-filled until Remus had arrived to give them the good news on Harry's health. Hermione and Molly Weasley had collapsed in relief and the two had stayed close to each other until they could hear more.

"I never apologised to him," Hermione confessed. She was sitting in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a constant cup of cocoa that Molly had to keep warming back up.

"What about deary?" Molly asked. The Weasley Matriarch was potting around the kitchen to cook the dinner, using the familiar routine to keep herself from thinking too much about the boy she had all but adopted. The same fears were why Winky was unable able to help.

"The broom. I went to Professor McGonagall without telling him, I knew what it meant to him and I never apologised for having it taken away."

"Oh, Hermione," Molly sighed, sitting down beside the distraught girl. "It's okay. He knows you were only trying to do what's right."

"What if I never get to say I'm sorry?" Hermione whimpered, her bottom lip already bleeding from her worried bites. "What if..."

"No what ifs." Molly demanded as she wrapped Hermione in one of her hugs. "You'll see. They'll fix Harry up good as new and you'll be able tell him."

Now if only Molly could believe it herself.

.

.

oOoOo

.

 _._

 _4th August, 1995_

The details of Harry's trial slipped out into the _Prophet_ to send the country into another wave of anger. They wanted answer from Fudge, answers from Dumbledore and news about Harry's condition.

The volatile situation threatened to explode when it was announced that the _Quibbler_ articles were all true. Most people had used the publication's reputation to convince themselves otherwise and now they used their outrage to hide their shame.

From one end of the country to the other, wizards and witches demanded action. Lord Potter's Muggle residence had found its way into the _Prophet_ , thanks to the reporting of Rita Skeeter. By the time someone within the DMLE thought it a good idea to check on the Dursleys, they had disappeared.

A Half-blood who knew a Muggle-born inside the police force who knew a Squib high in the Court system, set off a string of dominoes that landed Vernon and Petunia serving at Her Majesty's Pleasure while Dudley was dumped in a Young Offenders Prison. That not one Dursley had actually gone through a trial was a mix-up quickly ignored whenever someone got their hands on Harry's physical history.

Vernon wouldn't last out the year while Petunia would eventually be transferred to a permanent psychiatric centre when she refused to stop her rantings about 'Freaks and their Freakish Magic'. For the first time ever Dudley found out what it was like on the other side of the torment. He actually beat the statistics and reformed himself so that upon his eventual release, the 'freaks' never had a reason to find him and put him back inside.

The goblins were irate. The news of the attack had, for once, reported all the facts, including Lucius' vocal support of the Dark Lord. Chief Ragnok took that declaration of support and twisted it the way the goblins knew best. He demanded any and all accounts of vocal supports of Voldemort, no matter the blood status or political clout of the owner, was to be frozen until their investigations of each account could be concluded. Paperwork was meticulously analysed, finances broken down and vaults searched. The tiniest thing that even brushed against breaking goblin laws were fined, destroyed or otherwise disposed of. This included a rather interesting cup within the Lestrange vault.

Since the goblins were only cleaning house, those affected didn't have a leg to stand on if they tried complaining.

Somewhere outside of Little Hangleton, hidden by the woods that edged the village, sat a long-forgotten shack. It's origins and ownership had been lost to the midst of time by everyone except an aged wizard of immense power and a half-man desperate to erase his past.

The wizard in question, dressed in bright purple robes that were decorated in lime green stars, appeared with a crack along a small pathway. He followed the directions of another man's memory and took the hidden side-path until he was face-to-face with the shack.

"Oh, Tom," Albus Dumbledore sighed, though the emotion behind the exclamation was hidden even from himself. "From such humble beginnings."

Dumbledore moved carefully towards the shack, the Elder Wand at the ready. He could feel the protective wards around the dilapidated building and began to use his considerable power to bring them down.

The Muggle Repelling ward was ignored, the overpowered Confundus could be beaten as Dumbledore used his powerful Occlumency talents to overlap his own vision with the memory of a man named Bob Ogden. Dumbledore carefully unravelled the flesh-peeling ward, short-circuited one that mirrored a long-lasting Cruciatus and simply activated the last.

A mass of angry snakes, kept alive by the sheer power of a teenage Riddle, burst out of the ground like rampaging Inferi. Dumbledore systematically blasted, roasted, decapitated and shrivelled every last snake even as he lamented the terrible loss of life.

"Why do you make me do this, Tom?" He pleaded to the foul smelling air.

Albus Dumbledore had not planned on this adventure so soon. He had only recently managed to retrieve the information about the shack and had wanted to slowly groom Harry into coming with him on the horcrux hunts. His goal had been a year of teaching, slowly bringing the boy back to his side of things, with another year of adventures to inflame Harry's imagination while secretly imprinting the importance of destroying Tom's creations. He had been sure that such a timeline would enable young Harry to understand the sacrifice of his own death at Tom's hand.

Yet now he was having to work quicker than he wanted. As the last snake fell beneath the might of Dumbledore, he snarled in fury, and it was a look that would have horrified his staunch supporters. Thanks to Sirius Black and whoever else was working with the blasted man, Harry had taken up his Lordship early, learned of the power he wielded, and even used it to destroy Lucius Malfoy. If Harry's condition wasn't so serious, Dumbledore would have said the attack served the boy and fugitive right for rising above their station.

His anger loose, Dumbledore blasted the door off its hinges the moment he laid eyes on the snake that had been nailed to the rotten wood. Albus had it all planned out, couldn't they see this? And the fact that Tom had used Harry's blood in the rebirthing ritual meant there was even a chance of the boy surviving.

Well there would be if Dumbledore wasn't planning on killing Tom the moment Harry fell and thus breaking the connection between the two. He needed to put his greatest mistake to bed once and for all.

Dumbledore had been swinging from absolute conviction of Harry's survival from Malfoy's attack - after all the prophecy was extremely clear in it being by Tom's hand he would die by - to rampaging panic over miscalculating something and having to convince the Longbottom boy to stand against Tom. These twisting emotions were made worse by the prophecy itself being placed in a protective Unspeakable cocoon. Not even he, the great Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock and even the one the entire thing was said to, was being allowed to visit the orb in order to observe any changes. Amelia was argumentative, her lapdog Croaker refused to listen, and all he wanted to do was make sure the thing hadn't faded out.

Dumbledore's dark thoughts cut off as he realised he was standing in the living room of the shack. What was left of it anyway. His magical senses pulled his eyes towards the floorboards and, with far too much power, he blasted them, and the protective spells surrounding them, apart. The strength of his attack even managed to destroy the lid of the horcrux's box.

For a few moments Dumbledore was mesmerised by the sight of the Gaunt Family ring and the extremely powerful stone it held. His pain at losing his sister rose up and Dumbledore could feel the desire to put the ring on and see Ariana one more time. Another day, another life, he might have succumbed to the hypnotic spell that drew him in. But not that day. Not when his righteous fury over his loss of control burned so bright within him.

Dumbledore pulled out from beneath his robes the shining blade that was Godric Gryffindor's sword. With a huge roar he approached the very stone he had spent his life searching for and drove the tip of the blade deep into the ring's heart.

The last protection spell that Riddle had placed on one of his most precious items shattered as the basilisk venom imbued sword destroyed the soul piece.

The death of a piece of Riddle's soul caused a powerful magical backlash that sent Dumbledore crashing into one of the crumbling walls. There was a loud, painful crack as his hip broke and he cried out from the pain. His shout was drowned out by the horrible screams of the dying horcrux. By the time both had faded away, his anger had been driven back into its hidden corner.

Dumbledore's breathing was heavy and pain-filled. He wandlessly lifted himself upright and conjured a long staff to take his weight. He looked around with old, sad eyes at the damage his temper tantrum had wrought and knew he would need to put everything back together again before he left to visit Poppy. He couldn't afford for Tom to find out what he had done too quickly.

"Oh, Albus, look what you've done," the Headmaster of Hogwarts said in an eerily perfect rendition of a young girl's voice. "You silly, silly, boy."

.

.

oOoOo


	24. Book 2: veni, vidi, amavi

**AN: So it's been a while, huh? I can promise you that rumours of my abandoning this story are greatly exaggerated. I plan to never abandon any story I write so even if I go a few months without posting never fear. If, in the very rare case, that I do actually leave a story then it'll be fully announced so you aren't left hanging. My other stories are being worked on and will be added to soon now that my personal crisis is past for the time being. Now, on to review responses:**

 **Some of you enjoyed Dumbledore's scene while others were thrown off by the voice. I honestly thought it was obvious he was mimicking his sister telling him off rather than having an "alternative" personality as some of you seemed to think it alluded to. For those keeping score the horcrux in Harry's head is now in the diadem that was given to Croaker. The diary is destroyed as is the ring and the cup. The locket, Nagini and the diadem are all that's left before Tommy boy can be sent into the eternal darkness.**

 **Digitize27 - The prophecy orb will be tackled at a later date. As for the many nicknames for Amelia Bones, multi nicknames for the same person is not unknown. I've been in conversations with a group of friends where three or four nicknames/name shortenings for the same person has been used. Amelia will be the only person this happens to though.**

 **Difdi - That's an excellent point about the Hallows. There's even a version of my notes that has the stone destroyed (Harry's essence being the last of the Peverell line empowers the sword to break the family magic) and how it ends up impacting Dumbles' mentality and the other Hallows.**

 **As for the Guest reviewer who thinks the Albus part was an attempt to gain sympathy, that I'm lazy in my writing and I'm at the end of everything pre-planned...well not-so sorry to say but you're 0-3.**

 **And of course to those who simply told me how much they're enjoying this story. A big thank you.**

* * *

 _Book 1, Son of Potter Recap:_

 _After escaping on Buckbeak, Sirius Black decides do what was right rather than what was easy. Using a wizard's tent and some low-powered wards he makes a home near Privet Drive in order to watch over Harry and, to his horror, finds out that his godson knows practically nothing of the Wizarding World nor his family's place in hit._

 _Sirius devotes himself to teaching Harry everything he feels his godson needs to know and by the end of summer Harry's health has improved due to potions. He is aware of the basic history of the Potter and Black families and has retrieved a very special book from the Potter vault. The Quidditch World Cup Final sees the Potter Scion putting the Malfoy family on warning for breaking the long-standing bonds between the Blacks and Potters._

 _Amelia Bones receives a note from Sirius and sends Nymphadora Tonks undercover in Hogwarts to get close to, and protect, Harry. Using common sense and the Marauder's Map, it's not long before Harry and Sirius find out her secret._

 _Harry changes his classes to be more the scholar Sirius has encouraged him to be and buckles down to work. The Tri-Wizard Tournament throws out his ability to have a quiet year and the fallout results in Harry giving up Ron Weasley's friendship and replacing it with that of Neville Longbottom's. The two boys bond in a manner not dissimilar to the friendship of Prongs and Padfoot._

 _A long-held secret is revealed about Harry's conception and birth leading him to release the blocks on the Metamorphmagus ability holding back his Melania Black, daughter of Sirius, form. Helena Ravenclaw and Dora are tasked with teaching her how to be a Pure-blood heir and live like a young woman._

 _Harry is tutored by Duelling Master Filius Flitwick and as his talents and friendships grow, so too does the darkness and foreboding nature of the Tournament. The Third Task sees a lone Harry captured and facing off against a reborn Lord Voldemort. Their brother wands are forever damaged as Harry forces his foe's to submit and brutally wounds the Dark Lord before being able to portkey to freedom. He returns to Hogwarts and has enough energy to use the ties between the two Families as a way of slowly stripping Lucius Malfoy's life and magic._

 _With the Minister refusing to believe that Voldemort is back and the Order of the Phoenix re-establish, Harry goes back to the Dursleys until his birthday where he would then claim his Lordship. He and Dora are attacked by four Dementors and Harry's wand burns out as his Dementor destroying patronus saves their lives._

 _He takes up the Potter and Black rings and, with Ted Tonks as his solicitor, easily defeats the joke of a trial set up by Cornelius Fudge. The weak and pitiful Lucius attacks Harry with a Dolohov Special curse only to die to multiple stunners. The world waits on the health of the Boy-Who-Lived while the stage is set for House Black's new Lady to step into the light._

Daughter of Black

veni vidi amavi

 _5th August, 1995_

If Harry was honest then he would say that it wasn't that he really hated waking up after being hurt, it was that he actually despised waking up after being hurt. There was always that moment where his eyes opened but his mind hadn't caught up with everything and he laid there confused. And then there was the time he woke to the delusion of a book reading Narcissa Malfoy sitting on a chair at the bottom of his bed.

Instincts kicked in and he immediately tried moving, only for enough pain to rip through his chest to cause him to gasp out with pain.

"Easy, Harry. Easy." A voice that took away his fears and confusion said. Sirius' arms wrapped around his weak body and eased it into a sitting position. "You're safe, pup. I promise."

Harry took in the scent of his godfather, the soft tinge of dog that always followed Sirius was a soothing balm to the wildness threatening to consume his sluggish thoughts. As Harry's heart settled and his mind caught up with recent events he was able to breath easy.

"Lady..." He tried saying only to cough at the extreme dryness of his throat. He was sure he could feel the back of it cracking in its need for moisture. The cough sent more shards of pain through him and he quietly hissed. Sirius held him until it passed and then helped him drink from a refreshingly cool glass of water.

"Just Narcissa Black, if you please, Lord Potter," Narcissa's aristocratic voice was surprisingly soft, nothing like Harry's previous meetings with the woman. "At least that is what I am hoping Lady Melania will help me with."

Harry's eyes jumped to Sirius' face - _Merlin his looks like shit,_ Harry absently thought – and was surprised when he received a nod back. "She knows, Harry. She knows everything."

"And I am still angry at you, you idiotic Gryffindor," the woman in question snapped only to quickly pull herself together. Harry watched in amusement at the appearance of a hangdog expression on his godfather's face at the telling off. "Forgive me, Lord Potter, but my cousin should have made sure you were raised with someone of our Family and not those horrible Muggles."

"You seem to be okay with all of this, ma'am," Harry probed after another gratefully sip.

"Call me, Cissy. We are, after all, family regardless of whether you're Lord Potter or Lady Black," Her sculptured shoulder rose and fell in an elegant shrug. "It is not the worst thing House Black has done in its long history nor is it the strangest."

Harry blinked at the statement and realised that it was most likely true. He couldn't help but give a lop-sided grin at the woman across the room and she visibly relaxed at its sight.

"So how long have I been out this time?"

"Four days, Harry," Andromeda announced as she marched into the room, wand already out to perform her scans. Harry had a moment of deja vu where his mind overlapped the image of Pomfrey onto the sight of his aunt and came to the conclusion Andi was much scarier. "You've only been stable for two."

Sirius closed his eyes tightly at the reminder. Everything had been going well in Harry's recovery until their biggest fear had come true and his body had attempted to revert to Melania's form. It had taken both Black sisters using their magic to hold the struggling teenager in status while Sirius retrieved what was left of the potion he had brewed for Dora's Christmas present. It was only the only thing that had saved his child's life.

"What happened?" Harry asked, pulling the Marauder out of his nightmare memory.

"My former husband could not handle your judgement, my...Harry," Cissy explained, changing what her address at his narrowing eyes. It was a look she'd seen from her grandfather when someone was about to say something he didn't like. "He hit you with a very dangerous curse."

Harry heard Sirius growl _Dolohov_ and winced, knowing exactly how much Padfoot hated anything to do with the Russian wizard.

"And we can all raise a glass at the quick result of the Aurors present at your hearing," Cissy smirked. When Harry frowned, not understanding, she explained in a bright, happy tone. "Are you familiar with what happens if someone is hit by more than one stunner at the same time? No. Well, the spell can overload a person's magic. I'm sure Andi can explain it in more detail if you're really interested."

Andi merely nodded as she finished her spells and began to pull out a surprising number of potions from the nightstand's drawer.

"Regardless of the details, my _darling_ husband was hit with multiple stunners, and his body was unable to cope. I buried him yesterday once the DMLE released his body."

"I'm...sorry for your loss?" Harry said, unsure if her scorn and chirpiness was true or a defence mechanism. She didn't reply either way and the room fell silent as he was forced to swallow potion after potion, each one surely more foul tasting than the last.

"I'm afraid you're not fully out of the woods yet, Harry," Andi told him as she handed over yet another vial. "You've got five to take in the morning and evening and another eight around lunch. That's not including others I've got ready in case you react badly to any of these."

The true reality of how close he came to dying crashed down on Harry and he launched himself into his godfather's arms, ignoring the searing pain that tore at his lungs. Once more they held each other until Harry felt emotionally strong enough to ease back onto the raised pillows.

"At least you don't have to take this one any more," Sirius told him, lifting a familiar vial off the table. Harry recognised the colour of the liquid immediately. "It's why you're at Andi's place rather than Grimmauld. We were too worried the Black magic would try forcing you to change."

"So I can't go there until I'm better?" He asked with a frown.

"Not for at least a week," Andromeda confirmed with authority. "I want your magic settled first and to make sure you don't have any relapses."

"Damn," he growled, closing his eyes in frustration. "My wand won't work now."

"We can have it brought here," Sirius offered only for Harry to immediately shake his head.

"No. Background magic is okay but you can't add active magic to the saturation process," Harry explained without opening his tired eyes. "Apparition, Floo, whatever you use to bring it here will ruin the entire thing. The _Book_ constantly warned about that. And you couldn't even bring it by muggle means since you'd need to use magic to protect it during the travel."

"What is it that has to be done, Harry?" Narcissa asked with an interest that only grew as Harry explained the process, what he had done and the final stage. Though the ritual itself was an easy one, the manner her nephew spoke of the entire thing showed a connection to Ritual Magic she hadn't expected. "So the person who the wand belongs to must be the one to brush the paste over the wood?"

"Exactly."

"Yet did you not just say that you had Lupin also give his blood?"

Harry and Sirius shared a look and broke into hysterical laughter at the obviousness of the answer. The stress relief didn't last long as the pain once again rose and Harry, in frustration, pulled up the loose t-shirt to reveal the raw scar over his sternum. _Yet another scar_. He thought.

"You're alive, Harry," Andromeda reminded him, squeezing his ankle in comfort as she took a seat beside Sirius. "And the pain will ease away."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of your scares," Narcissa gently chided him as he released the top, the words eerily similar to ones he had heard from Madam Pomfrey. "You survived where others might not have and that scar, and the one on your arm, are testaments to that."

She let that sink and gave a small sigh of relief when he nodded in understanding. She could only hope that he was as calm with what she brought up next.

"I think this is a good point to talk about the hippogriff we've been ignoring," Andromeda and Sirius winced while Harry calmly stared back at her. Apparently it was a conversation the adults had had while he was asleep. "Harry Potter has been badly attacked and can disappear to allow Melania Black to step out of the shadows."

"You want to kill off Harry Potter?" Harry asked in a calm voice that had Sirius staring at him in shock.

"No, we don't have to be that final," she explained, leaning back to fold one long leg over the other. In that moment she was the poster-woman for a Pure-blood Lady. "Harry Potter can disappear for a convalescence in one of the overseas Black properties. As an identity, he's far too useful to dispose of."

Harry wasn't sure he enjoyed _that_ way of explaining it.

"And of course he has friends he might wish to see," she added.

 _Okay that's a little better._ He thought.

"But what about Melania?" Sirius frowned while Andi eyed Harry expectantly. "We haven't talked about where she's been or even how to bring her into the public eye."

"Harry?" Andi simply said, suspicions running rampant after hints her husband had dropped, and her sister smirked as though always knowing he had the answer.

"Melania's mother was fatally injured during the war and came to the only person who she knew she could confine in. Aunt Andi explained the situation to Sirius, who was being supported by the Potters," Harry explained in an almost bored monotone voice, clearing reciting something he had memorised. The more he talked, the wider Sirius' eyes grew and the prouder the Black sisters became. "Lily, in her infinite love for Sirius as a brother, helped deliver the baby girl on 27th March, 1979, though it was a close run thing."

Sirius blinked at the back-story and suspected that there was a perfectly hidden paper trail to prove what he was hearing.

"Sirius brought her to the only family he trusted," Harry continued. After seeing the slight tightening of Narcissa's eyes, he quickly amended the words. "Trusted at the time. Uncle Ted made sure one of his Muggle or Squib friends raised the baby away from the horrors of the war and after that Halloween aunt Andi would constantly visit and educate her as a Black."

"That's..." Sirius shook himself down as though he was Padfoot and tried again. "That's bloody brilliant."

"And positively Slytherin," Narcissa added with approval. "It accounts for her being hidden away and even any questions over the mother."

"And sounds suspiciously like one of my husband's convoluted murder-mystery books," Andromeda added with amusement. Harry looked sheepish at the accusation and the middle Black sister chuckled. "He always did love those mind-bending plots."

"It works. Morgana, it could actually work," Sirius said in awe, his eyes shining with more life than they'd contained since the hearing. "And after the attack on Harry, there's no way I'd allow my daughter to be out there alone. It's the perfect reason to have me bring her to Grimmauld Place."

"Not for a good while yet, Siri!" Andromeda snapped, smacking her cousin in the arm before he got too excited. Harry wondered if that form of attack was a female thing. "I don't want any changing of bodies until Harry's much better."

"The only problem is the age," Harry confessed with closing eyes. "It's too obvious if Melania Black was the same age as Harry Potter."

"That's not actually a problem, pup," Sirius sheepishly confessed. "Time-turners were once used as a way of training someone to their magical maturity early. The Ministry decided that people needed to age normally so now all modern time-turners are designed to keep a person's physically and magically from growing with the added hours. Hermione is the same age she would be without using that turner despite spinning for most of your third year."

"And the Black Watch doesn't have that feature," Harry smirked, seeing where his godfather was going with the explanation.

"It won't work," Andromeda explained with a shake of the head. "I noticed a _lot_ of use of the Black Watch but not near enough for what you're suggesting, Siri. And we don't have enough time left in the summer for him to spin just to add hours to his life."

A chuckle from Narcissa brought their attention to the Malfoy matriarch. "You're forgetting something, sister-dear. Sirius has access to the training room. The rune cluster allows for a time dilation field that would give us what we needed regardless of how long young Harry's recovery takes."

The trio of adults paused to think on the plan and then turned to Harry.

"It's your choice," Sirius offered. "We're talking full-on training here to be Lady Black as well as learning how to defend yourself."

"I thought that's what I was doing with Professor Flitwick!"

"Harry," Cissy's firm voice cut off his complaints and quelled his glare. "The Professor taught you to duel, didn't he?"

He nodded with a frown only to sigh when she explained.

"And that's why you got hit by Lucius. The Dark Lord made a big show of wanting to duel you which meant your instincts took over but they weren't ready in the courtroom. What Siri is talking about is teaching you how to _fight_ so you live."

"I understand." His body seemed to sink into the bed as exhaustion began to take over. And he did. It was a distinction the Professor had made more than once during their lessons. "If anyone needs to meet Melania before I can change then get Dora to do it. She helped me...taught me with the Grey Lady..."

His last words faded as sleep overtook him and Sirius relaxed with a huge explosion of breath. His favourite cousin rubbed her hand over his back in sympathy and understanding.

"He'll be okay," she told him. "I'm positive the worst has past."

"Will it work, Cissy?" He asked his other cousin with pleading eyes. "Can this actually work?"

"I'll make sure it works," She promised.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _7th August, 1995 – Muggle London_

Narcissa Malfoy sat in the upscale cafe sipping her tea with honey and thought over the last few days. It had been only her confidence and the carefully crafted paperwork her brother-in-law had created that had kept Sirius from losing his mind with worry over what was to come later that day. With Harry mostly asleep as he recovered and Andi focusing on her patient, it had fallen to herself and the uniquely quiet Remus Lupin to design a training schedule for Melania when the Lady Black was finally able to be revealed.

She found the quiet werewolf an interesting man to speak to and had quickly come to the conclusion he possessed more honour and deserved more respect than her late husband had ever dreamt of.

As a former Slytherin she knew all about the war between the Marauders and one Severus Snape. Unknown to all those involved, Narcissa had been hiding in the shadows when her fellow snake had tormented her cousin into tears of blind rage. She had later come to learn than no matter cousin Jamie's pleas, Sirius had never spoken about the harmful words that had caused him to send Severus into the Shrieking Shack on a full moon.

The things that Severus had spoken about, that he had promised would happen to little Regulus, had lit a fury in both Blacks that continued to burn into the present. Narcissa was well aware that there had been a blanket apology towards the Head of Slytherin House and she was equally aware it had been given in order to give young Harry, and now Melania, an easier time in school. That didn't mean she had to like it.

Her thoughts were cut short as a grey-haired regal man walked purposefully into the cafe. Augustine Lestrange carried his years with dignity and his power with an ease that had been known to give his enemies false confidence. Blue-grey eyes locked onto her position and he gave a deep bow from the neck before carefully making his way towards her.

The Lord Lestrange was fully aware of his surroundings and who else was in the cafe. While he didn't use a cane, there was still a very slight favouring of one leg that spoke of an old injury yet his past years as a dangerous hit-wizard spoke through every step.

"My Lady Narcissa," he smiled down at her with another head bow. "It's a delight to see you again."

"And you, my Lord," she replied with her own tilt of the head and then waved at the chair opposite. "Please seat."

"Thank you," he slide easily into the chair and waited for her to pour him a tea. When she added more than a dash of honey he gave his first genuine smile. "You remembered!"

"You and grandfather spent enough time together. Serving the Four Kings is not something a young girl is bound to forget."

Charlus Potter, Abraxus Malfoy, Arcturus Black and Augustine Lestrange. Commonly considered among the older generation as the Four Kings, the four friends who shaped and changed the world around them from their early Hogwarts years.

"Looking at the state of the world now, I can't help think we didn't do as much as we believed," Lestrange confessed with a heavy sigh. The crack in his mask showed a man weighed down with heavy disappointment before his face smoothed over and his back straightened. "I thank you for meeting me today, Narcissa. Would you mind putting up some privacy wards and inviting your niece sitting behind me to our table?"

Narcissa blinked at the request and then chuckled when he calmly took a sip of tea. "I suppose the bright blue hair gave it away? Come, Dora. Say hello to Lord Lestrange."

The young woman with electric blue hair got up from her chair and swivelled around to sit beside Narcissa as she carefully withdrew her wand to put up the privacy and notice-me-not wards.

"Wotcher, granddad," the girl chirped with a smirk, not even phased by being spotted by the infamous man. "What can we be doing for ya?"

"Nymphadora," Narcissa warned and the girl shrunk slightly in her chair with a pout at being told off. Augustine chuckled at the youthful enthusiasm.

"My dear Narcissa. I come offering a chance to rebuild the loyalties between our families," Lord Lestrange explained with a firm voice and harder gaze once he replaced his cup. "While my brother's spawn might have disgraced the name of Lestrange, my grandson's mind is clear from the propaganda that half-blood bastard Tom is spewing. I only ask that he is taken under the Black wing when your niece takes her place within Hogwarts."

Both women were struck dumb by the knowledge the Lord in front of them possessed and they felt a shiver of fear race up their spines. The old man chuckled at their expressions and continued.

"I won't tell you how I know of Sirius' little girl but I swear on my friendship with your grandfather that I've told no one else. Like I said, I'm asking she take my boy, Arcturus, under her protection."

"I thought Lysander called his boy Reginald?" Narcissa frowned.

"No," Augustine shook his head with a dark chuckle. "My boy's true name is Arcturus Charlus Lestrange. Your grandfather and I combined our Family Magics together in order to cast a powerful _Fidelius Nomine_ in order to hide it from official documents. Reginald is the lie so that his uncles don't learn he isn't a follower of their master."

"I can't speak for Lady Black," she explained carefully. "But once she learns more about what you and the other Kings were like and what you've done to hide your grandson, I believe she'll offer him protection."

Augustine's shoulders dropped and it looked as though the years were falling off him as relief flooded his aged body. There was a slight sheen to his eyes that was blinked away and he nodded in thanks.

"Those two stains upon my family's name share their time between my home and their master's place," he told them. "They can't keep their little gobs shut and I'll pass on everything I hear."

"What about you, sir?" Narcissa asked with honest concern. She had too many memories of the four great men and to see the last putting his life on the line didn't sit well with her sensibilities. "Can we offer you sanctuary?"

He sipped at his tea and savoured the flavour in order to hold back on answering. When there was none left he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and allowed her to see the truth.

"I don't expect to make it out of this war," he explained. "What I do now, I do for men greater than I who are unable to stand against the evil reborn. My boy will get the ring and he'll immediately cast out those hooligans and your sister from the family."

"Lady Black has said much the same about Bella," Narcissa confessed. She took hold of her cup and took a calming swallow, the tears pushing at her control from what the great man had admitted. "The sister I loved is gone and all that's left is the Dark Lord's attack dog."

Lestrange nodded in understanding and then his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Did he mistreat you, Narcissa?"

"Physically?"

"Yes."

"He tried once. It was the first time I refused the Dark Mark and I taught him why one never messes with a Black," she said, truthfully. There was never a chance she would lie to him and the quiet girl beside her growled dangerously at the news. "Once we had Draco he never came near me again unless it was in public."

"I've got some bad news," Augustine told her as he stared at a spot over her shoulder. The narrowing of eyes clearly expressing his belief that Lucius got off lightly for his attempt. "Your sister has taken the boy under her wing. There won't be any humanity left by the time she's finished."

The table was silent and they ignored the lone tear that slid down Narcissa's cheek at the news. Eventually Lord Lestrange took her hand and kissed the knuckles in farewell.

"Thank you for agreeing to an old man's request, my Lady," he smiled as he stood. "You'll be hearing from me again soon. Send my hellos to little Andromeda and my well wishes to Lady Black and her father."

He nodded to them both and left without looking back. Two innocuously looking men - a polyjuiced Remus and morphed Dora - stood from their own table and followed though none believed they'd actually be able to find the Lord Lestrange.

"If Lucius wasn't dead already I'd kill him for daring to touch you," Sirius' snarl came from the young girl's throat and Narcissa gave a small smile showing her appreciation of the thought. "I'm sorry about Draco."

"Don't be, Siri," she interrupted with a shake of her silky hair. "It was expected. And now we have lessons about the Four Kings to add to Melania's schedule."

The polyjuiced Sirius knew she was changing the subject and let it go. He wondered what his daughter would think about the infamous quartet and the news that there was a Lestrange in Hogwarts looking for aid. At the very least it would be an interesting conversation.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _Later that day – Grimmauld Place_

It was a surprisingly calm Sirius who was sitting in the kitchen of his childhood home for the impromptu meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Ted had provided all the paperwork and records, including those of private tutors that were sporadic enough to force Melania to be placed a year behind even with her varied knowledge and intelligence. He had been bowled over by the depths gone to provide his daughter a recorded Half-blood life while Narcissa had simply turned to her beaming sister and congratulated Andromeda on picking such a worthy husband for the House of Black. That the comment was about a Muggle-born and not said in jest just added to the surreal experience.

All of which meant that Sirius was currently being glared at by an angry Molly after he had insisted on the inclusion of the "children."

"Well, Sirius," Dumbledore spoke up as everyone finally settled, clearly annoyed at not knowing what was going on. "As you wanted this meeting, the floor is yours."

"Thank you, Albus," Sirius said in a loud and clear enough voice for everyone to hear. "I want to first tell you all that Harry finally woke up this morning and is doing much better."

The room filled with cries of relief and smiles, tension falling from the Order members at the good news. Dumbledore beamed and the twinkle was at full force.

"That's wonderful, Sirius. When we can expect you to bring him?" Dumbledore asked in his most gentle grandfatherly voice. He actually knew where the Blacks were keeping the boy but had been frustrated by the impressive wards surrounding the Tonks' home. Any attempt to gain entry would need a full assault and he wasn't yet ready for that risk. A gambit like that needed to come out victorious unless he wanted all of the Blacks to stand against him.

"That's a long way off," Sirius explained with an air of finality. "He's far too weak and his medi-witch thinks it could be months before he's well enough for anything remotely strenuous."

The good mood faded as quickly as it had risen as they all realised how close Harry had come to dying. A teary-eyed Hermione shared a look with the twins and they silently agreed it didn't matter how long it took. Their friend was alive and on the mend, and that was all that mattered.

Dumbledore frowned at the news, not liking having Harry out of his reach for any stretch of time.

"But what of being around his friends?" The Headmaster pushed. "Not to mention his safety, Sirius. I'm sure with Poppy's aid we'd be able to look after him here and then at Hogwarts."

"He's being kept at a Black property that only I and his healers know of," Sirius glared in rising anger at the interfering old man. "When he's cleared for visits then we can talk and anything more will have to wait. He almost _died_!"

Dumbledore was about to argue but was cut off by the surprising act of Sirius actually asking Severus a question. While the two had put their issues into the past, neither had been truly comfortable in the other's presence. "I imagine Snake-face isn't happy about the loss of Lucy's money."

"That is true," Snape carefully agreed after a moment's silence, eyeing his former nemesis with suspicion. "In fact, with Narcissa currently missing, the Dark Lord has decided that young Draco can follow Potter's steps and achieve an early Lordship. Under the very unique tutelage of Bellatrix."

"That makes no sense." Kingsley frowned and those who knew the law nodded their agreement. "That law only counts if both parents are dead and there's no living relatives eligible to step up."

"But it's not the Malfoy money that's being targeted, is it?" Sirius supplied with a knowing smirk. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was tilting back in his chair as though nothing was amiss while looking as though he had performed one of his notorious pranks.

"Indeed it is not," Snape frowned, not liking the fact he couldn't see where the mutt was going with the questions. He had to force his old resentments from rising at whatever the man was playing at. "It is the Black fortune he wants, hence Bella's involvement."

"I don't understand," Hermione immediately spoke up, brow creased as she tried following the half conversation. All but Sirius realised they had forgotten about the teenagers. "How can Draco qualify to be Lord Black?"

"Grandfather Arcturus was the last true Lord Black," the child of Walburga told her, and in doing so explaining it to anyone else unaware of the situation. "It would then fall to my father, Orion, and then his children. Regulus, my brother, is dead and I can't properly take up the title. When I ran away I swore my intention to have nothing to do with the family. If I were to become Lord Black, someone else could come along and challenge me through the Family Magic."

"And our dear Sirius' vow was accepted by the Black family magic." Dumbledore added in a condescending tone as though they were discussing an interesting piece of history. Only a few suspected the old man of being exceedingly happy over the facts being spoken. "It would side against him even if his parentage places his as the primary option."

Tonks stared at Sirius, her hair paling from the news. She had heard him say that the house's magic didn't recognise him but had never realised it had been by his own choice. She was beginning to understand just how bad it had been for her cousin growing up if he had given up his role within the family.

"Of those eligible, there are two lines." Sirius continued with the inheritance lesson. "Pollux Black, my maternal grandfather - and yes that means my parents were both Blacks - and Dorea Black."

"Harry's grandmother," Hermione provided, her eyes lighting up with knowledge.

"Mutt," Snape drawled a warning. "We are not here for lessons in the twisted branches of your family tree."

"I'm getting to it, Snape," The Marauder said without any of the malice that might have once been used. "Yes, Hermione. Now, Pollux Black leads to my mother, and we're back to the same issue, but he also had Cygnus Black, father of Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa."

"Patrilineal trumps matrilinial but there's no one left along that line but you," she gasped in understanding. The blank look on Ron's face created an involuntary reaction in the girl and she immediately explained the problem. "It follows the male lines to the end first and will only go through a woman's if it has no other choice."

"Which is, I'm sure, why when you kids are kicked out of this meeting, Snape was about to announce I had become target number one for Snake-face."

The room exploded in noise at the announcement while the two school rivals locked eyes. There was a silent exchange between them as everyone tried saying their piece. Remus shifted uncomfortably beside his friend and did his best not to growl from outrage at how calm Albus was taking the news. He had been eyeing the Headmaster the entire time and had caught the subtle shift in the old man's features that warned of plans being made. Moony could only imagine what would happen once this got back to Harry.

Dumbledore allowed the chaos to reign for a few minutes and then silenced them with a quick bang from his wand. "Severus, is this true?"

"It is," Snape admitted, not looking away from the subject of his words. "The Dark Lord wants the mutt's death as much as he wants Potter for escaping his rebirth. Pettigrew has given a very detailed description of his Animagus form."

"And I suppose you're supposed to trick him into a trap then, Snape?" Moody sneered as though ready to attack Snape the moment he confessed.

"The Dark Lord has not asked me to do such a thing, Moody," Snape finally broke away from Sirius to equal and better Mad-Eye's sneer. "He knows full well how little trust there is between the two of us."

"Oh? So you've thought about it have you?" The re-instated Auror twitched, his magic eye rolling up and down to watch every movement Snape made.

"It's more likely Wormtail will be the one who does it," Sirius announced and, for his troubles, received a powerful slap around the head from Remus. "Ow. Give me a little credit, Moony!"

"Not even a drop," the werewolf growled in warning. Both men knew that the warning was also from their little one.

"It seems you will have to stay here, Sirius," Dumbledore told the Marauder with an almost blinding twinkle. "It is too dangerous for you to be out if Voldemort truly is after you. We will have to find some way of bringing Harry here as well. That way the two of you can be together."

"Not happening, Albus," Sirius argued with a shake of the head and a Black glare. "Harry stays were he is. But you're right, I do have to stay here more. I need to bring someone here and she won't feel comfortable if I'm not around."

"She? She?" Molly Weasley shrieked, the excitement over Harry's improving health quickly dying over his statement. "Sirius Black you are NOT bringing a strange woman into this house!"

"Molly, please," Dumbledore raised a palm to halt the verbal attack and gave Padfoot a patronising smile. "Now what is this about, Sirius?"

"His plan won't work," Sirius told Snape, completely ignoring Dumbledore's eyes. "Draco isn't the next in line if I die."

"What are you talking about, Black?" Moody snapped. "You just went through boring us to death explaining how he was."

"That's because there's someone else in line who hasn't been made public." The Marauder smirked, enjoying drawing it all out far too much than he should. Remus sighed beside him and rolled his eyes at the performance. Snape's eyes widened just a little as his intelligent mind followed through the conversation to its logical conclusion. "Someone who has already been made Lady Black."

Yet again the room vibrated with noise as the Order reacted. This time it wasn't so easy for Dumbledore to bring them to heel. Moody was the loudest, ranting about how suspicious the entire situation was.

"You've lost your mind, Black!" He roared in his rough voice, easily piecing the clues together. "You don't have a daughter."

"Well to be fair, Alastor," Hestia Jones giggled from the corner. "From what I've heard, he certainly had enough opportunities to make one."

Sirius gave her his best roguish grin and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively to set the woman laughing.

"I must admit to being surprised by this news," Dumbledore's eyes had narrowed slightly and there was smallest of ceases between his eyebrows that told of the frown he was fighting off. "Why have we not heard about her until now, Sirius? Especially if she's old enough to take up the Black ring."

"Because I didn't want anyone to know," Sirius snapped back, his good humour vanishing instantly. "I was not going to have my daughter caught up in the war and I hadn't planned on having her in this mess either."

"So why now, huh?" Moody demanded with a glare, his fingers itching to go for his wand. "Why are you bringing her here, now? Where's she been all this time? How can we trust her, especially after the attack on Potter?"

The Auror's subtle threat towards Melania caused a reaction that almost forever fractured the Order. Sirius and Moony stood, wands out and pointed at the suspicious Mad-Eye while Tonks stepped away from her position beside Kingsley to do the same. Everyone looked on with horror at the seriousness of the three faces as they stared the aged wizard down.

"Come near her, Alastor," Sirius growled, his snarl revealing elongated teeth as his body attempted its Animagus transformation. Moony's eyes had gone completely wolf and there was an air of danger pouring from both men. "Come anywhere near her with your paranoia and I'll finish what Crouch's bastard started."

"Sirius, Remus, stop this!" Dumbledore cried out as he stood, desperately trying to calm the two friends down. Neither listened and both looked ready to cast.

"You too, Tonks?" Moody sneered at his protégé as though unconcerned by the three wands pointed at his heart. "You think you're good enough to go up against me?"

"Not even a little, Mad-Eye," Tonks confessed, yet her arm was steady and there was nothing but determination in her harsh gaze. Gone was the happy-go-lucky Auror. What remained was a true Daughter of Black. "But for Melania, I'll do it."

"Ease down, Auror," Kingsley told her, carefully stepping closer. "You don't want to do this."

"Hell I don't, Shack," she snapped back without looking away from her target. "I won't have him going after her."

The tension built and Dumbledore was forced to turn to his long standing friend.

"Alastor. I need your word you won't go after the girl without provocation."

"Physical provocation," Sirius added, knowing the other man's penchant of taking umbrage at the slightest word. "Physical provocation or else."

"Sirius, please. Let me do this," Dumbledore pleaded, holding up his hand as though to ward off an attack. "Well, Alastor? We take her at Sirius' word unless she proves herself otherwise."

"How do we know she's really his daughter?" The Auror's paranoia refused to let him drop the argument. "Black's been in Azkaban. She could have been converted by a Death Eater or even..."

No one would find out what the 'or even' was. A cutting curse blasted right past his face, close enough for the magic to be felt on his skin, and sliced into the wall behind him. Everyone stared in shock at the origins of the lethal spell, unable to believe it had come from the girl.

Nymphadora Tonks had slipped back into her natural form. Long black hair to her mid-back, purple eyes glowing with her magic and there was nothing of the accident-prone rookie Moody had taken under his wing.

"You'd really do it, wouldn't ya, lass?" His one normal eye blinked and there was awe and respect in the look. "I can see it in your eyes. You'd kill me for her."

The grizzled Auror, victor and survivor of so many battles that had seen his fellows fall, turned to Sirius and nodded his agreement.

"If your lass is good enough for this one to do what she just did then I'll accept her, Black," Moody announced to the explosive relief of everyone. "But I'll still be watching her."

The two Marauders put their wands away in perfect synch and dropped into their chairs as though nothing had happened. Kingsley was forced to catch Tonks as her legs buckled, and help ease the shaking girl into a chair. Moody merely chuckled.

"You owe me a duel when we get back to the Ministry." He told her in no uncertain terms and she gulped, nodding.

Padfoot breathed in relief, knowing that now all they needed to do now was survive the questions.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _12th August, 1995_

Harry was almost at the end of his intensive potions regiment and couldn't be happier at the idea. Andi had told him that without the others helping her, he would have been forced to take them for months rather than days before he was fully healed.

The taste of his own mortality had given Harry an even greater focus for learning than he had shown the year before. During his waking hours he had been almost constantly surrounded by his family filling in the blanks of his education. He quickly came to understand the difference between a duel and fight and why his instincts, the very same ones that had taken down Crouch Junior and saved him against Riddle in the graveyard, had failed him in the courtroom.

Aunt Andi and Padfoot had worked out how long the time dilation of the Black training room was needed to be to allow his physical and magical age to match Melania's records and doubled the number. When he asked why they had explained that Melania would need to be visible during the day so that she could get to know Harry's friends. They would then all enter the special room at night and be fresh for the morning breakfast with the whoever was at Grimmauld Place.

It was a confusing plan that Harry made out was a prank of epic proportions in order to wrap his head around the scale of juggling the routines in order for people not to get suspicious.

He was also only days away from getting hold of his new wand and was excited at the idea of how it would feel. All of which meant that he was in a constant state of restlessness as he sat in the back garden. Aunt Cissy, enjoying yet another book under the warm sun, was with him as they relaxed during a break from his potions lesson.

"You keep moving around like that and you'll aggravate your injuries," she told him without looking up from her page, absently picking up her drink that was on the table between them. "I thought you understood patience."

"I do," Harry sighed, clearly frustrated. There was a moment's flash of wanting to hold back what was bothering him but he ruthlessly pushed it aside. He had a family who cared for him and knew they could only do that if they knew what was wrong. "It's the ring."

Narcissa looked up and studied Harry closely. Whatever she saw was enough for the woman to slip her bookmark into the pages and place the book on the table.

"Elucidate," she said with a piercing gaze.

"I can feel the magic," he tried explaining, looking down at his hand as he made the Black ring appear. Rather than the Head of House version that was platinum, the one that was on Harry Potter's finger was gold to indicate his connection to the House. "It's the same when I hold Melania's wand."

"It calls to her?"

Harry nodded and flexed his hand, making the ring fade away, and when he looked up his famous eyes were filled with questions even as he schooled his features.

"Mother told me about this," Narcissa said after a few moments deliberation, her thoughts far away in the past. "Grandfather Arcturus had been out of the country when he became The Black and the ring gave him problems until he was able to claim a place of residence."

"The ring wants Melania to find a home?" He frowned, only to become more confused when she replied in the negative.

"No," there was something in the distance that caught her sharp eye and Harry followed the shape as he focused on her words. "The ring wants a home for the Family. Each Head of House Black has been allowed to pick their home, their base, and it is there that the magic of our Family cements for that generation."

It actually made sense to Harry and he liked the idea of being allowed to choose the place he would call home. The thought was overtaken once the approaching shape came into view and he broke into a grin at the familiar form of Hedwig. Some of his tension ease away just by knowing she was near. His friend had been away for over a day and he had been worrying about her on top of everything else.

The beautiful owl landed gracefully on the glass table and bowed to Narcissa. The Black sister showed a moment of surprise - that is she _blinked -_ and then bowed her head in return. Harry chuckled at the exchange but was surprised by the serious look his friend turned to him.

"What's wrong girl?" He asked with concern, reaching out to stroke her chest feathers. She leaned into the touch and then nipped at the finger he had only just been looking at. "I think so, Hed. She's who I really am, after all."

Hedwig hooted with annoyance.

"I can't, girl. You're too distinctive and there's no way anyone would believe you trusted Melania the way you trust Harry," she clicked and barked in the universal sign of grumbling and Harry shook his head. "You're beautiful as you are. Besides, I don't think a long-term glamour will work. Too many people can see through them and all it would take is a _Finite_."

This time a powerful wing smacked Harry's wrist painfully and she continued with more annoyed hoots.

"She's wanting to change her looks so she can stay with Melania," he interpreted to the amused Narcissa. "But glamours are too risky even if we could keep her away from Moody."

Narcissa watched the angry owl tell Harry off and remembered an incident from her childhood.

"There might be something you could do," she carefully told the two, her suspicions about an affinity with Ritual Magic rising up again. "A ritual I know."

Hedwig immediately ceased all her scolding and turned her head around to eye Narcissa. She felt as though her soul was being weight in the owl's intense glare.

"It's a changeling ritual," she explained, this time directly to the animal in question. Harry became a complete bystander to the discussion. "A small blood ritual that will turn you into another animal that would be Melania's familiar. You would have until the night of the following new moon in which to decide whether you prefer this you or the new one."

Narcissa didn't understand Hedwig in the way Harry could but somehow knew the answering hoot was a request for more details.

"I do not know what you'll change into. The cost of the ritual is that regardless of whether you decide to change or not, glamours will forever fail when placed on you. Nothing would be able to hide your form."

The owl's head slowly turned back to her Harry and the look brought tears to his eyes. She hooted and nodded with enthusiasm, the demand clear.

And that was how Melania and Hedwig came to be sitting in the garden that night beneath an almost full moon. Andromeda had been uneasy over the physical change but admitted her schedule was being cautious and a quick change shouldn't cause many, if any, issues. The two long time friends had been determined to do the ritual as perfect as possible and so, carefully, Harry became Melania.

She sat cross-legged as Hedwig faced her while the six closest family members surrounded them. Narcissa was at twelve o'clock while Andromeda and Dora were at four and eight. Outside of the women sat Sirius at the six position, Ted opposite his daughter at two while Moony, looking haggard and in pain but still determined to be involved, sitting at eleven.

"You know the rune you need for this, Melania," Narcissa told her softly. The two Marauders had been stunned that the rune for the ritual was the same one Lily had used to hide proof of Melania's existence. "Take your thumb and trace it on Hedwig's breast, while saying the words I taught you."

The owl puffed herself up in preparation as Melania dipped her thumb into the small bowl that contained their combined blood. She lovingly and carefully traced the memorised rune on the white feathers.

"Oh, powerful Mani, as your glory approaches its apex," Harry spoke clearly in the warm air. It had surprised them all when Narcissa had announced any moon deity was valid for the call and the young Lady Black had immediately decided upon the Norse option. "This beloved of yours and I humble request a change in her shape. We beseech you to grant her the chance of rebirth in the way your power reclaims the night."

A misty glow surrounded Hedwig who stood proud and tall at the blessing. The aura grew bright enough to force the humans to avert their eyes and once it faded they were faced with a starling sight.

Hedwig's long, black wings stretched out and with a caw, the bird announced her approval of the impressive limbs. The raven's eyes were heterochromatic, one being the typical dark orb of the bird while the other matched Melania's laurel green colouring exactly. There were gasps around the two but Melania only had eyes for her familiar, the bond between them blazing strongly as the magic settled. Hedwig cawed again and Melania burst into a huge grin.

"I agree. You're absolutely stunning," Hedwig nodded with enthusiasm and then cocked her head in question. "Hm...well there's always Muninn? Same mind, different body."

Hedwig considered the idea and Melania felt her approval through their link before the magical crow nodded. The others simply stared, mouths open, until Sirius' bark of laughter shattered the silence.

"Only you, pup. Only you."

.

.

oOoOo


	25. Summer Days, Part 1

**I've got to say I'm blown away by the sheer volume of messages I've received in concern over this story. I promise you that it's not abandoned and won't ever be (the ending is already sketched out!). This story has been my main focus and I simply wanted a little time away to work on some of my other projects. Now I'm back with it and here's the proper introduction of Melania to the Order of the Phoenix!**

 **Summersecho - They were surprised by Hedwig becoming a Raven because it seemed too obvious.**

 **Azaira - I think the headcanon for scars is that anything done using Dark magic can't be healed by conventional means. There might be a proper cure but normal healing spells/potions won't get rid of the "cursed scar".**

 **TheZidaneTribal - Tonks is in deep denial about her feelings for Melania.**

 **TheSmallzy23 - Their relationship will build over the year. It won't be easy, especially with the little twist Amelia has cooking up.**

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Summer Days at Grimmauld Place Part 1

 _15th August, 1995 – Grimmauld Place_

It was the second time in three weeks that Nymphadora Tonks found herself standing outside the Fidelius hidden Twelve Grimmauld Place in order to take someone into the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" The metamorph nervously asked, her hair a drab brown to go along with her mood. "We can do this another time if you want."

"I will not allow my Head of House to walk into that place without Family support," Narcissa 'no longer Malfoy' Black replied, heatedly. The elder woman's pale eyes remained focused on the young woman in question who stood slightly in front of them.

Neither of the two girls dared point out the obvious fact that Narcissa wouldn't be the only family member there.

The Lady Black had been quiet the entire morning as she waited for the sign from her father. Melania was dressed in elegant and obviously expensive clothes beneath an open Acromantula silk robe, all the better to make an impression, and had Muninn on her shoulder. The teenage girl cut a powerful image just by merely standing there. Her two wands were safely in their anti-summoning holsters and she had her two knives secured at her hips. The entire Family understood that she was prepared for war as soon as she entered the family home.

Magic can be a strange and fickle mistress. While Harry and Melania were intrinsically one and the same, they were magically different enough that she didn't know the Fidelius' secret even though Harry did.

Sort of.

Melania still knew the house was there, she just wasn't able to actually see it. She stood, eyes closed, and with the help of her Black ring, could feel the magic of the building calling out to her. She suspected that she could even walk up to the front door and open it as long as she wasn't actually watching where she was going.

"Moody is in there, Aunt Cissy," Dora's concerned voice cut through Melania's thoughts and Muninn squawked her disapproval at the paranoid Auror's name. The owl-come-raven had become incensed at hearing the man's reaction to her mistress's existence and had been looking forward to expressing her displeasure at the earliest opportunity.

"I will not allow the two of you to face them alone," Narcissa's tone cut off any more discussion and had Tonks sighing in defeat. She'd heard the same commanding voice often enough from her mum to know what it meant. Melania allowed herself a small smile at her family's protective nature and wrapped it around her heart to fight off the nerves.

Dora took out the same slip of paper that had been shown to Harry and shared it with her aunt. The beautiful woman absorbed the information and then stepped forward to present it to Melania and the unique raven. Both read the words and allowed the Fidelius' magic to sink into their minds to reveal number twelve.

"Have you decided how you will claim the wards?" Narcissa asked as she handed the note back to Dora.

"As much as I'd like to use the family crest in the front hall, it's going to be the door," Melania answered without pause. "If I'm going to walk in there as Lady Black then I might as well do it right."

Narcissa nodded and the three Black women moved as one. The image made a powerful statement and the air inside Grimmauld Place grew heavy with magic. The house knew who was coming and welcome her with open arms.

Melania pulled out one of her daggers the moment her foot hit the porch, slitting her right palm in one single, fluid motion. The Lady Black didn't react as skin was opened nor when the wound was wrapped around the cool metal of the raven and snake knocker.

"I, Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black, Lady Black of House Black, offer up my blood and magic to claim this residence as my Home and Castle," the knocker glowed and the trio heard the building rumble violently as it happily accepted its new Head. "May the wards protect the Family that reside within and the magic welcome all those of Family who wish to enter. May they smite my enemies and have no mercy for traitors against the House. So I say, so mote it be!"

The wards crackled and those inside fell to the floor as the building shook as though at the epicentre of an earthquake. Melania frowned when she felt the wards struggling to release themselves from their current owner. The frown turned into a snarl that would have perfectly suited Bellatrix's face as she realised what was happening.

"The house is _mine_ , Dumbledore. As are the wards." She growled. Her fingers tightened on the knocker and she pushed her magic into it. It immediately connected with the deep magic that was Grimmauld Place's foundations and the layers of Black blood that had been shed to make the residence one of the safest in the land. Those inside and out heard the harrowing sound of countless voices of long past Blacks roaring in rage at someone not of blood attempting to control the House of Black. The Old Magics painfully ripped the protections away from the manipulative old man inside and gently offered them to Melania. She willingly accepted and then smirked when she realised the Fidelius had also been passed on. "Enter, Narcissa and Nymphadora, Daughters of Black, and be welcome within my home."

She released the knocker and her blood immediately soaked into the metal to join with those of her ancestors. The magic of the ritual instantly healing her palm. The door swung open and Muninn happily flew into the house with Melania entering behind her familiar. The two followed and none were surprised when the door swung closed behind them.

Narcissa was startled by the changes. Grimmauld Place had been a second home to her and her sisters but the youngest had never felt comfortable in the depressing building. Yet now it was all so different. The paint was relatively fresh, the furniture proudly shone with newness, and there was a sense of welcoming that had been absent from her childhood. She knew she could quite happily live in this new Grimmauld Place with her niece.

The pile of bodies near the stairs caught their eyes and three eyebrows raised at the sight of limbs trying to disengage from each other. Apparently a welcoming committee had originally been waiting in the hall to meet Melania, no doubt something Molly Weasley had cooked up, but were now nothing more than a mass of moans and groans. Melania broke out into giggles at the sight and didn't stop until three extremely excited elves popped into the hallway.

"Mistress Melania bes here at last!" Winky beamed happily and somehow was able to do a small dance without lifting her feet. "Winky bes making sure Mistress' room is all ready."

"Kreacher bes welcoming Mistress to the great House of Black and wish to know if Kreacher can bes doing anything for Mistress."

 _Is that_ really _Kreacher?_ Narcissa thought in shock at the powerful looking elf. He was standing tall and looked younger than he had the last time she had seen him.

"Dobby bes so happy to see the great Witch Mistress Melania!" Narcissa's old house-elf bounced, ears flapping away, and she had to admit that the strange thing hadn't looked healthier. Nor as crazy with an old sock covering one ear. "And Dobby bes welcoming Mistress Narsousi! Dobby bes missing Mistress Narsousi!"

Melania turned to cock her head at her aunt, mouthing the Dobby-ism of Cissy's name. The woman could only shrug.

"I treated him with as much respect as I could get away with," was the only answer she could give.

"In that case. Dobby, you'll be Aunt Cissy's personal elf when she's staying here," the elf in question nodded frantically with pure glee and only elf magic kept the sock in place. "But you must learn from Kreacher, Dobby. He used to care for Auntie when she was younger so he can help you."

"I'm not _that_ old, niece," the woman in question playfully sneered, doing her best to ignore Dora's snickering.

"Of course not," Melania replied with a grin. "Winky, I would love for you to get my room ready. But first, I think lunch in the library would be ideal."

The elves popped away, happy to be of service to their Mistress. The exchange had allowed the welcoming group to drag themselves to their feet and one quick look told Melania that Molly had forced her children, and Hermione, to dress up for their introductions to the new Lady Black.

No one looked comfortable in their outfit and, annoyingly, there wasn't a single welcoming face when the crowded spotted Narcissa. Any awkwardness was held off by a roar coming from the open study.

"Get off me, you crazy bird!" Mad-Eye's disgruntled voice sent Melania into more giggles. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth and only then realised that she still hadn't sheathed the knife.

"Wipe it clean first," Dora reminded her when she was about to simply slot it back into its leather home. "Mum would kill me if I let you get into that habit."

Kreacher immediately popped back with a silk cloth and everyone not a Black nervously watched Melania professionally clean the obviously sharp knife.

"Lady Black," The annoying voice of Dumbledore spoke up from the study door. The old man seemed to be doing his very best to ignore Moody's rantings coming from behind him. "May I ask what all the shaking was about?"

"You must be Albus Dumbledore," Melania replied without looking up from a particularly stubborn drop of blood that had stained the handle. "Father warned me of your atrocious choice of robes."

Now it was Dora giggling as her cousin was forced to hand the knife over to Kreacher's offered hand with obvious annoyance. The elf easily cleaned away the offending drop and gave the blade back with a deep bow. Melania nodded her thanks and only then deigned to give the waiting wizard her full attention. Narcissa, having far more control than her niece, merely smirked at the way her young Head of House was commanding the moment.

"You know perfectly well what that was, Mr. Dumbledore," She explained in a bored voice that held just a hint of steel. The knife was driven home into its sheath with enough force to make a few people wince. "You fought me for control over the wards and lost. No surprise since this is, after all, my home."

Molly Weasley was spluttering. Her outrage at the presence of Narcissa merged with the way Melania was treating the great Albus Dumbledore and she was building up mental steam to rant at the smart-mouthed girl. The long-haired Bill was doing his absolute best to derail the verbal explosion with frantic whispers while Lady Black watched Dumbledore attempt to reconnect with the wards. She grinned at his wince when they slapped his magic down for the insult.

"Ah, of course," he nodded, sagely, as though it all being part of his plan. His soft, grandfatherly voice grated on the three women's nerves. "It was only because I believed they were under attack."

"Of course you did," she scoffed, the sarcasm so thick it could have been used to make treacle tart. Dumbledore blinked at the attitude, unused to people not respecting his power and legacy.

"Alas, it seems as though the wards have also passed over control of my Fidelius," he continued. "You are, it seems, the new Secret-Keeper of this wonderful abode."

Dora and Narcissa caught the feral grin on their Lady's face and both knew it just announced Dumbledore as an enemy of House Black. Before anything more was said, Muninn flew back onto her partner's shoulder with a very familiar looking bauble held in her beak.

"Get back here, you pile of feathers!" Moody roared as he stomped after the raven, wand already in hand. Everyone's gaze immediately focused on the socket missing its magical eye.

The twins, quiet during the entire exchange between Melania and Dumbledore, looked at the Auror, looked at Muninn, and then looked at each other. The result was to be expected and they collapsed to the floor in gales of laughter. In all the chaos, Melania spotted the soft-footed form of her father at the top of the staircase alongside her uncle Moony.

Her only reaction to Muninn's theft was to raise a hand to rub the raven's chest.

"That's not a normal bird, Albus," Mad-Eye snarled, his wand rising to point at Muninn. "Damn thing moves too fast and look at its eyes."

"Muninn is my familiar and it will be the last thing you do if that wand rises any higher," Melania snapped and the air chilled in response to her anger. The air began to grow heavy as Grimmauld Place responded to the mood of its owner.

"If you think you can best me, lassie..."

"ALASTOR!" Dumbledore quickly pulled his friend's arm down before anything could be cast. As much as he would have enjoyed seeing the unknown Lady Black go up against his friend - only for an assessment of her skills, of course - he was far too shaken by the loss of the wards and Fidelius to let it happen. Only a truly powerful witch could have taken control away from him. "We talked about this. You will behave."

It seemed as though the Auror was about to argue only to pull himself under control at the last minute and nod.

"My eye, Lady Black," the heavily scarred man asked, the words only barely making it out of his throat and past the clenched teeth.

They continued to ignore the laughing hyenas that were the twins and the not so subtle hissing to be quiet that was coming from their mother.

Melania stared into the man's remaining eye for a heartbeat, long enough for it to be a doubt whether she would comply, and then nodded. Muninn seemed to sigh around her stolen toy in disappointment. The action finally helped Hermione place the bird's name and she wondered if anyone else got the irony that was happening in front of them.

Muninn lazily floated over to Moody and landed on the angry man's head. His wand twitched but remained by his side as the raven actually made to put the magical eye back in its socket. As a final one-over she suddenly smacked the eye with her beak so that it painfully popped back into place, spinning wildly from the force.

"Arrrg!" Moody cried out, palm covering the hurting socket while his wand hand swatted the air where the raven had been. Hermione had only blinked yet the bird was already back on Melania's shoulder. The Gryffindor girl couldn't help wondering if the bird was magical.

"Perhaps introductions are in order, Dumbledore?" Sirius finally announced himself as he walked down the stairs.

His grey eyes danced with humour while his friend was opening grinning at the chaos they had been watching. Sirius was so proud of how his daughter had dealt with the two men that he felt as though he was literally floating down the stairs. The moment his foot hit the bottom step he was hit by a black-haired whirlwind who had cried out _Dad!_

The other two Black women looked on as the years fell off Sirius. Narcissa took in the effect being around Melania did for her cousin and allowed herself to openly smile in happiness.

Muninn skipped onto Sirius' shoulder and happily buried herself into his long hair. She stayed there even when Melania was able to bring herself to pull away from his strong arms to smile up at the werewolf standing nearby.

"Hello, uncle Moony."

"Hello, cub," Remus happily smiled back, the love and acceptance in her grey-green eyes a balm to the fading pain of his recent transformation.

"Moony?" Fred yelped from the floor as Molly had only managed to drag George to his feet during the exchange. His twin blinked in shock and repeated the question. "Moony?"

"Oh, that's right," Melania giggled lightly as she turned in her father's arms, basking in their protectiveness. "Harry told me he was holding that little bit of gossip back."

"What's this, pup?" Sirius asked with obvious amusement, eyes twinkling with mischief and delight at being able to share his daughter with the world.

"Weeelllll..." She drawled in a way that had Remus remembering his Hogwarts years. James had always shuddered when Sirius sounded like that. "It seems those two over there fancy themselves modern day Marauders. Apparently they even worship the originals. Maybe you and uncle Remus can share some tales, papa Padfoot?"

Sirius' barking laughter erupted free at her teasing and then again when the twins rushed over to the three of them to drop onto their knees to declare their lack of worthiness.

"Alright, you lot," he chuckled, sharing a happy grin with Remus. "Let's all get into the library and enjoy Winky's meal so this little Marauder can meet you all."

There were nods all around at the idea. The good mood didn't last as Ron finally lost control of his mouth as the group were about to set off towards the library. Those who knew him were actually surprised at how long he'd been holding his tongue. What they didn't know was that Ginny's wand had been pressed into his lower back the moment she saw his reddening ears.

"What's a Malfoy doing here?" He demanded to know. All the humour bled out of Melania's eyes as she replied as Lady Black.

"Narcissa is a Child of Black, a child of _my_ House and my aunt. That _Malfoy_ is one of the reasons why Harry Potter is still alive," she spat and those not in the Family paled at the news. "She had nothing to do with the attack and everything to do with Harry's recovery. You will treat her with the respect a woman of House Black commands or you'll regret it, _boy_."

Muninn poked her head out of Sirius' hair and cawed in agreement causing Ron to shrink at the evil glare of the raven. Once again Bill was forced to whisper into his mother's ear before the Weasley matriarch could unload her anger.

"Which reminds me," she moved free of her father's arm to stand in front of the hanging curtain and with a snap of her fingers they pulled away to reveal the quiet form of Walburga Black. "Lady Walburga... grandmother... I wish to introduce myself to you and tell you what a pleasure it is to be Head of such a great House as ours."

"Your Magic and Will did it for you, my dear," Walburga curtsied much to everyone's, especially Sirius', surprise. "I look forward to our talks in the future but right now you have you guests to attend to."

Needless to say it was a much more subdued group who moved into the library.

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oOoOo

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Winky had turned the centre table of the library into a veritable banquet. As was her right, Melania moved to the head position with her father and Narcissa sitting on either side. Tonks sat next to her aunt while Moony was beside his friend. Dumbledore immediately took the place at the foot of the table, inviting a quiet scoff from Melania that was thankfully drowned out by everyone else taking a chair. Sirius smirked at his daughter's reaction to the wizard's actions while Cissy gave her a look of warning.

"Why don't you introduce everyone, dad," Melania suggested before the food could be touched. Sirius beamed every time she called him it. He did as she asked even with Muninn still nestled in his hair.

"Well you've met Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Alastor Moody, Senior Auror. Next is Arthur Weasley and his wife Molly."

"Nice to meet you both," Melania said with a gentle smile, completely ignoring the dark looks Molly gave her. "Harry told me how much he appreciated you opening your home for him."

Molly proved where Ron's temper came from by both beaming with happiness at the words, sniffling at the thought of not being able to see Harry, and then having the hardness in her eyes return full force. Her husband merely bowed his head to acknowledge the words.

"The twins you've heard of and the next one along is Bill Weasley, Curse-breaker to Gringotts."

"Really?" Melania's eyebrow raised as she appraised the man Sirius had pointed out. "I'd be delighted to sit down with you for a discussion on your career, Mister Weasley. I'm fascinated with the idea of wards and would love to hear an expert's view."

The Family immediately saw that she had won over the experienced Weasley with the obvious passion in her voice. Sirius continued with his introductions, the smirk teasing his lips telling those who knew him how much he was enjoying the entire situation.

"I'm sure you've heard plenty about the remaining lot. Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her age according to many, Ron Weasley and his sister Ginny Weasley."

"A pleasure to meet you all," she told them and received an interesting collection of replies. The twins showered her with over-the-top compliments that hinted at them knowing how to behave in a socially important setting without actually doing so. Ginny merely smiled meekly while Ron grunted, still upset at his dressing down and being forced to sit at the same table as Draco's mother. Hermione didn't to know whether she wanted to jump immediately into the conversation on wards with Bill, smile pleasantly at Melania, look confused towards Narcissa, or frown in puzzlement at Muninn. To Melania's great amusement, the girl ended up doing a bit of everything during the feast. "This will be the first meal I've had here so please, do tuck in and enjoy."

Moody's disgruntled huff didn't stop him from reaching for the potatoes. Though he did check them for any poisons.

"Will you be coming to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked as she enjoyed the delicious food. She wondered how long Winky had been working on the massive feast to have it all ready in the short time since Lady Black's arrival.

"I will," she confirmed. "And dad has even promised he won't disown me should I be placed in Slytherin."

Everyone ignored the screech as Molly's knife slide across her plate. To Ron's credit, he was too busy eating to react beyond a narrowing of the eyes.

"The time of my disgust against anything green and silver has long past," Sirius told them in a surprisingly mature voice after taking a sip from his glass. "Better a live Slytherin than a dead Gryffindor."

"That's what Harry's been saying," Hermione gasped, finally knowing where her friend had got it from.

"It's a good philosophy to live by," Melania agreed with a smile as her dad lifted a piece of food to his hair for Muninn to enjoy. "But it shouldn't be set in stone."

"Please, Lady Black," Dumbledore said with a faux gentle smile, leaning back in his chair as though holding court. "Do explain."

"Having a rigid philosophy, any type of philosophy, is a dangerous and foolish thing," she explained with passion that caused her eyes to glow softly. Hermione was stunned to see Muninn's eyes also glowed. "To think that you're always right? That the way you see the world is always true and the only correct answer? No, that way leads to only stagnation and death."

"Ah, to be young and full of ideas," the Hogwarts headmaster chuckled with condescension.

"Not at all, Mr. Dumbledore," Melania quickly answered with a shake of the head. She saw her aunt's eyes narrow dangerously at how the conversation was going. "Bill, as you're a Curse-breaker, I'm sure you've seen many interesting things and some extremely dangerous ones as well."

Bill nodded, waiting for her to make her point.

"Could you tell us what happens to a Ward Breaker who gets cocky and attempts to do their job without fully assessing what wards they are actually facing?"

He frowned as he collected his thoughts. He saw what she was getting at and wanted to make sure he didn't mess it up.

"Sometimes we come across a ward or curse that's very similar to those we're familiar with. If someone isn't careful they might follower what they've done a hundred times before and could come up against some very nasty protections. I've actually found a few traps laced into wards that are very easy to take down. If it wasn't for being careful, I could have been severely injured."

"Not everything is at it seems," Melania declared, firmly, raising a glass to salute Bill for his aid. She turned her focus back to Dumbledore so everyone knew where the next bit was aimed. "And experience does not always mean that you're right."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, clearly showing his disbelief in Melania's words even as his friend Moody grunted his approval. The seriousness of the talk would slowly ease off as the twins asked their heroes for stories that would send the majority of the table laughing.

Melania's foray into the world of Harry Potter hadn't been a total disaster.

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oOoOo

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 _Later that night_

The meal had remained light-hearted and Dumbledore and Moody made their excuses to leave not long after it was over. The two veterans were quickly followed by Arthur and Molly dragging their two youngest to the Burrow in order to to lay down the law in regards to Lady Black and respecting people's homes. Ron couldn't look past Narcissa's presence while the more Ginny realised the smart and beautiful Melania was closer to her hero, the more she glared at the girl.

The young woman in question had jumped into her discussion with Bill with a passion and knowledge that delighted and surprised the older Weasley. The talk was also peppered with questions from the curious Hermione and the brunette was shocked at some of Melania's comments, quickly realising that the girl might just be as widely read as she was. The twins and the last true Marauders shared stories and ideas, the younger pranksters going through reams of parchment from their heavy note taking. They never knew that Melania had specifically asked her father and uncle to help grow the joke shop. Tonks and Narcissa had taken a small corner of the library so that the metamorphmagus could hear stories of her mum's childhood.

Grimmauld Place eventually fell silent and Melania was able to get a few hours sleep in her sinfully comfortable bed. Winky's wake up came just before two and the Lady of the Manor silently made her way to the lowest level to find Sirius and Narcissa waiting.

"Alright, little one," Sirius said, smiling at his daughter with love and pride. "I've set the runic control to the time dilation Andi told us you needed. You'll spend 18 days training for each six hour night until the end of the month. This way you can spend the day getting to know everyone upstairs."

Melania nodded as she stared at the shimmering entrance waiting for her to step through.

"Remember, we'll be doing this in shifts until the five of us believe you're ready for more," Cissy reminded her. "If, at any point, you wish to stop then tell us."

"No," She shook her head firmly. "I need this, Aunt Cissy. Not just because of the war or Riddle but because I'm a Black. I need to know what that means."

"That's my girl," Sirius beamed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to give her a reassuring hug. "It'll be the two of us tonight so we can also spend some quality father-daughter time together. Cissy will take tomorrow's stretch followed by Moony and then Andi and Dora together. You ready, Pup?"

Melania didn't answer. Instead she took a deep breath and walked, head up and gaze firm, through the shimmering barrier.

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oOoOo


	26. Summer Days, Part 2

**AN: Another short (for me) chapter showing Melania and Sirius under the time bubble as well as some interactions outside of it. Don't worry, there will only be chapters about the main training sessions and some more of the Order interacting with Lady Black. It seems you all enjoyed Dumbles getting put in his place.**

 **magitech - As you'll see at the end of the chapter, that's beginning to happen. Hermione will eventually come around but she needs a bit of wake-up call first.**

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Summer Days at Grimmauld Place Part 2

 _First night of time dilation._

Melania didn't know what to expect from the training room. Perhaps if the others had called it a training _complex_ she would have been able to imagine the scale of the place before seeing it. As it was, she was in complete awe when Sirius showed her through the multiple areas and rooms. She felt the only thing that could beat it was the Room of Requirement.

"You can learn almost anything you want here," he explained with pride as he led her over to a type of shooting range. "It's only the practical side of Herbology that's not possible."

"Why?" She frowned, thinking something like this would be perfect for Neville.

"Magic," Sirius grinned, spinning a finger in the air to indicate the time bubble they were in. He laughed at her scowl but thankfully didn't leave it at that. "Herbology is one subject that must stand on its own. You can use almost any type of magic with almost any other type except for growing. Our plants must grow on their own without the influence of Time or Earth Magic. It's been rumoured that the very old Druid Magic was an exception but since no one knows that any more, we can't say for sure."

"Oh," Melania remembered a line from one of Lily's journals that had been confusing her. " _That's_ what mum meant about foreign magic messing with a potion's ingredients."

"Yep," her father nodded, popping the 'p' with a proud smile. "So, I know you can cast and that you've been training how to adjust the power levels of your spells. This exercise is designed to turn that skill into a Mastery."

She looked down at the strange glowing orb at the bottom of the range in disbelief. Her dad chuckled and, three quick snaps of his wand later, had sent white beams of magic hurtling towards the orb. As each shot connected, a number floated above the orb with each hit showing a vastly different result.

"We know you're powerful," Sirius continued to explain as her face lit up with understanding. "And right now I'm not looking to push you into finding out just how powerful you are. This isn't about brute force, Mel, it's about precision."

"Controlling my magic with each spell," She nodded, her laurel green eyes sparkling. Here was something that would give her empirical data on what she had been working on the previous year.

"Exactly. I want you to learn how to increase and decrease your levels until it's instinctive. Try to find the weakest you can fire the spell and very gradually move up until you're putting as much into it as you're comfortable with. Then work back down again."

"Like the scales of a piano?" She offered enthusiastically. She was already bouncing on her toes in eagerness and she itched to get started. He nodded, unable to believe the beautiful girl in front of him was his own daughter.

"Exactly. The spell is _Potentia_ and it does exactly what it sounds like. So don't worry about using it without that recorder," he took hold of her shoulders and moved her into the correct spot to begin. "I want you to find that weakest level and cast the spell a hundred times without putting any more magic into it. Every time you move over ten Merlins above your starting figure, reset the count."

He moved over to a nearby chair and sunk into it, letting her begin at her own pace. His daughter tilted her head to the side and studied the orb, the fingers of her right hand weaving as though already playing with a piano's keys.

"It's repetition. Engraving the correct action into muscle memory until instincts take over," she finally said, eyes filled with understanding. The smile turned into a frown at her next thought. "No wonder people mess up at Hogwarts. No one teaches this way."

With that critique voiced the flexible cedar wand dropped into her waiting palm and no more was said. Hours passed and Melania diligently worked on the exercise, starting her count again when her energy result fluctuated too high. Sirius couldn't have been prouder watching his daughter's determination and eventually had to call for a lunch break before she overworked herself.

"Do you know why I started with this?" He asked her once she had picked up a sandwich. Melania took a slow chew as she thought about her answer.

"I think so," she eventually answered. "In a fight it's too easy to throw myself all in but that's not always the best bet. I can't use the same power defending myself from say a smarmy student as I would against Riddle or his lackeys."

"That's very important, yes," Sirius admitted, leaning back in his chair to take a sip of Butterbeer. They had immediately taken up their habits from the previous summer's training. It was a comfortable routine for the both of them. "But there's something else you've missed. Two things actually."

Melania frowned, a slight crease appearing between her eyebrows as she chewed over what her father was trying to teach her. He gave her a few minutes before filling in the silence.

"You don't want to risk burning yourself out in a firefight. Always start with the levels your opponent warrants, whether that's a mouthy student, drunken stranger or Death Eater," she nodded along to the advice and Sirius had no fears that she wasn't taking the lesson to heart. "You can move up if your opponent shows themselves to be stronger than you initially thought. Otherwise you could find yourself exhausted in fighting through a crowd of Death Eaters only to have nothing left for Riddle."

Her heart warmed from the darkening look her dad gave at the thought of her facing Voldemort. She saw the love he had for her, the pain he felt at the mere idea of her facing the monster, but also the trust he had in her surviving.

"But there's an even more important thing to consider," Sirius warned her and Melania froze at his look. "It's too easy to get lost in a fight. Say you've just protected yourself from an attack and suddenly you hear Apparition pops. You're in the zone and casting even before you've realised that they're friendlies. Without being able to lower the power level of your spells, you could end up killing a friend."

Melania saw the pain in her father's eyes and knew he was talking from experience. "Who?"

"Frank Longbottom, James and I had just fought off a raid," he answered in a subdued voice, grey eyes shadowing as the past threatened to take him over. "Frank fired off a cutter. It was a close call but the other guy survived. It tore Frank to pieces thinking about what ifs and he almost quit the Aurors. Alice spent a long time putting him back together."

The two finished their lunch in silence. Only when the meal was over was Sirius able to shake himself down and have the light return to his eyes.

"Right. James was the Transfiguration genius and you've got his journal to work from later in the month," he announced, getting up from table. "If you hadn't already guessed, your old man is all about charms, spells and speed. That's what I'm going to be focusing on."

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oOoOo

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And that set the schedule for the following eighteen days. The mornings would see Melania working with the orb to learn how to control the power of her spells, the exercise all about precision. The afternoons would see her do a hundred perfect repetitions of a spell's wand movement followed by a hundred perfect pronunciations before Sirius allowed her to even cast the spell. She hadn't believed in the routine until he actually pointed out a weakness in her Stupefy casting. Then it was hours of casting the same spell over and over again to fire as many as possible within a single minute. She was saying the incantation so quickly that it had became nothing but a meaningless noise coming out of her mouth. It took three days before she snapped and asked how it was possible to cast a hundred stunners in less than a minute since the incantation took over a second.

"You're still hitting your quota," Sirius pointed out, smirking at her frustration.

"I know!" She whined, arms thrown into the air. "I can't work out _how_ though."

"Don't you remember what Filius taught you, sweetheart?" His grin widened as Melania's eyes did the same, the Duelling Master's lessons flickering through her thoughts. "The faster you cast..."

"The more you move away from incantation and wand work and into point and silent casting. How in Morgana's name did I forget that?"

Sirius lost control, barking with laughter as his daughter ran both hands through her hair. The air crackled around the dark locks as she glared at the target showing her successful scores.

"Just how many of those are done using both incantation and movement?" She waved a disgruntled hand at the tormenting digits.

"At this point, maybe a third," he answered proudly, the grin an almost permanent fixture by this point. It meant she over a half of her spells were without correct form or incantation. "Your speed is what I wanted us to focus on."

"This isn't how people normally learn point or silent casting though." She pointed out, almost positive that she was right in her statement. Sirius nodded and withdrew his wand to show her.

"No, they do it like this," and what followed was Sirius repeating the movements of a Stupefy, each time the slash was smaller until it was nothing more than a flick of the wrist. "This is the easiest spell to minimise but the theory works for everything."

"Will I be working on that here?"

"Maybe," Sirius' shrug showed his real thoughts on the matter. "I'm not saying it isn't important, Pup, but I'm much more concerned with speed and silence. You can work on minimising your movements once you're back at Hogwarts."

She cocked her head to the side and thought about what he had said. Memories of duelling Professor Flitwick proved that speed and movement were certainly capable of kicking arse. Sirius smirked at the movement, fully aware that the canine action was her Animagus bleeding through the way it naturally should.

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oOoOo

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Sirius pushed her hard, willing to take Melania to the point of dropping before allowing her to stop for the day. During the downtime they would go back over House business to make sure she had the foundation for Narcissa's lessons.

He never forgot to make time for the two of them and even included pranks to keep their spirits up. She did spend half a day not talking to him after he spelled her hair Dora's bubble-gum pink. Melania got her own back by forcing him into a fluorescent yellow and purple polka dotted Padfoot for an hour. Sirius hadn't really minded the colours so much as that the grim had also been turned into a miniature poodle.

The Marauder never pranked his daughter's hair ever again.

It was the last of their initial time together that she eventually got him to admit his history with Amelia Bones. The two old friends had been heavily dating before the terrible Halloween and it was obvious that the spark and feelings were still there even after all the years and mileage their lives had taken.

"Dad, I think you should get Aunt Andi to invite Amelia to the Tonks' so you two can talk," they were minutes away from the barrier going down and having to face a day with everyone else. Sirius stared at her in abject horror, wondering if Prongs and Lily were laughing on the other side at him being given relationship advice from his own daughter. "I also...I also think you should tell her the truth about me."

"Mel..."

"No, please listen, dad," laurel eyes stared into grey and both were filled with emotions. "I obviously don't want everyone to know but we've already had to tell the Delacours because of Gabriel's ring. Madam Bones is someone who should know."

The Delacour clan had swooped upon the Blacks with a fury not even Molly Weasley could match. Gabriel and Apolline had wanted to drag Harry back to France and let the UK burn. It had taken a very weak Harry, and a very nervous Sirius, confessing everything to ease their demands.

The Delacour women had taken the news of Harry being Melania in their stride. Their only reaction being a demand to take her on a very intense shopping trip in Paris the minute Harry was healthy enough to change. Andi and Cissy eagerly joined in the demand but it was the sparkle of hope in Dora's eyes that meant it actually happened. Gabriel had merely laughed when Remus asked him why he wasn't more taken aback by the news. _My dear Lupin._ The man had chuckled after giving a typical Gallic shrug. _My beautiful girls have powerful allures, throw fireballs when angered and look like gorgeous birds of paradise if I fail to calm them in time. This? This is nothing._

The friendship that had began between Harry and Fleur blossomed when it came to Melania, especially when Harry's lack of reaction to the allure was passed over. The French girl was able to reach Melania how to be a modern young woman that Melania ate up with abandonment.

She pulled her thoughts away from the lovely family and back to the happiness of her dad.

"I want you to be happy and Amelia makes you happy. But you can't have something this secret hanging over your relationship with her," she pushed, her eyes firm in her conviction that she was right. "And she'll need to know because of Harry Potter no longer being around."

Sirius could only give a token fight to the logical argument. He mutely nodded just as the barrier fell and Melania gave him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. She was out of the training area and back into Grimmauld Place proper before he could even respond.

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oOoOo

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 _16th August, 1995_

As they sat down for breakfast, Melania thought over how much she had missed elf-cooked food. The intense time dilation had meant it was easier for those inside the training area to make their own food rather than have an elf trapped inside the bubble without anything to do. Throughout the 'proper' day the elves would replace the food and clean the used clothes in preparation for the entire thing to be repeated that night.

Moony was the first of the house to shuffle downstairs with a yawning 'Good Morning' at father and daughter. The werewolf didn't need to even ask how the training had gone, not after seeing the beaming grin of his best friend. The rest of the house quickly followed and all was pleasant until Melania felt the wards let her know of incoming Floo. The overly loud voice of Molly Weasley announced to everyone who it was.

"Well there goes the peace and quiet," Melania grumbled, receiving chuckles from the twins and a harsh glare from Narcissa.

"Oh, good morning dears," Molly announced herself by rather forcefully pushing open the kitchen door. With Walburga's portrait mostly watching rather than ranting, it meant many of the Order had grown comfortable in storming around Melania's home as though they owned it. "I was hoping to make us all a breakfast but Ron was running a bit late."

The boy in question had already dropped himself into an empty chair and was on a mission to collect as much of the morning food as his plate could hold. He was completely oblivious to the dirty looks his actions received. A more subdued Ginny had followed though Melania still saw a few glares sent her way when she wasn't looking at the redhead.

"Mrs. Weasley, I have three house-elves," she explained to the rambling woman. "They will always be the ones to make the meals unless it's a special occasion."

"Well now, dear, nothing beats a good home-cooked breakfast," Molly declared. _Translation, I'm the cook and I should be the one doing it here._ Melania thought. "And you should eat more. You're nothing but skin and bones."

The woman ignored Sirius and Narcissa's harsh glares. Ron saw the look from Cissy and tried his best to give her one in return. That it came out as making him look constipated was all that saved him from a tongue-lashing by one of the Family. Melania leaned back and stared the Weasley matriarch in the eyes, knowing that she needed to cut the woman off before she got on a roll.

"Mrs. Weasley, you are not my mother. You are in my house and we barely know each other," Molly jerked back as though she had been slapped from the harshness in Melania's voice. "I happen to eat balanced and well proportioned meals that have been designed by my Aunt Andromeda. She's the one who works in St. Mungo's in case you're unaware."

"Well I never..." Molly tried only to have her rant derailed by Sirius.

"Well you should have, Molly," the Marauder pushed. "Being concerned over my daughter's welfare is one thing. Trying to boss her about is something else and I won't have it."

"I suppose this is _your_ doing," the woman snapped at Narcissa who merely arched an eyebrow at Molly's reddening face.

"You forget your place, _Prewett,_ " The former Slytherin Lady replied and Melania promised to never have her aunt turn that look in her direction. "I know you've had enough training to be capable of behaving in another's home."

Whether it was the use of her maiden name or the words, Molly had nothing else to say. At least for the immediate future.

"Dad, you should get in touch with Aunt Andi now before she gets to work," Melania announced, clearly changing the subject before things could escalate. Sirius' head whipped around to face his daughter with a look of betrayal that almost set Remus off. "You don't want to be leave it late and have her already be at work."

"What's this?" The werewolf asked, taking hold of the amusing sight of his friend shifting uncomfortably in his chair rather than the glaring contest still happening between Narcissa and Molly.

"I'm sure I can do it later, Mel," Padfoot pleaded, weakly. His dark-haired daughter simply shook her head.

"And give you a chance to chicken out? Not a chance. Besides, you promised."

"Sirius Orion Black!" Moony mouthed _All Three Names_ at his niece as Cissy snapped at her cousin. The girl merely smirked back, enjoying seeing her dad's shoulders slump. "I don't know what you promised her but, by Morgana's name, you will do it. You don't break promises to your own daughter."

"But I...but she...Fine!" He tried defending himself only to wilt beneath his cousin's harsh glare. He petulantly pushed back his chair and rose, grumbling the entire way. "Mischief managed, Pup."

Melania wiggled her fingers in a cheeky wave as he stalked off to the Floo, feeling completely guiltless in making him do it.

"Please don't antagonise your father," Narcissa asked her niece once the older woman was sure Sirius had left the house. "I do not wish to be stuck between the two of you in a prank war."

"Yes, auntie," Melania immediately agreed, rising from her finished plate. "I'll be in the library if anyone needs me."

"And I shall be in the potions laboratory."

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Remus asked the stoic woman whose only show of surprise was to blink.

"By all means."

Melania had no idea what the Weasleys and Hermione did for the rest of the day. She had already instructed the elves to rotate in keeping an eye on everyone so that nothing untoward could happen to her Family or the house itself. This peace of mind allowed her to slip into her books. Eventually Hermione's curiosity won out over her nervousness and she approached the new Lady Black, finding the teenager surrounded by journals and books on both warding and potions.

"Afternoon, Miss Granger," Melania said as the eyed the nervously approaching girl. "You're free to pick out anything that catches your desire as long as you stay away from the Darker works."

"Mrs. Weasley has been trying to talk Sirius into throwing those books away," Hermione absently explained, her attention already focused on the many tomes surrounding Melania. Melania's head round at the news and glared dangerously towards the library's door.

"If that woman even thinks about touching what is not hers then there will be a reckoning," she promised with a snarl. Hermione cringed at the harsh tone and she pulled back her anger in order not to upset the other girl. "Forgive me, Miss Granger. I'm not annoyed at you and I don't believe in shooting the messenger. Please, sit."

"Why do you keep calling me Miss Granger?" Hermione asked as she took the offered chair, idly pulling one of the warding books closer. Melania pushed down a chuckle as she saw her old friend's eyes darting between the many different titles in an attempt to find out what she was working on.

"You haven't given me leave to call you Hermione," she explained. "I was raised in the Muggle world but I've been taught the proper customs. We aren't familiar enough for me to use your given name without your approval."

"Oh," the brown-eyed girl looked stunned at the simple answer and Melania wondered if Hermione had ever researched proper Wizarding etiquette. Unfortunately she knew the girl and could comfortably bet that the answer was no. "Then you can call me Hermione."

"And you can call me Melania. To answer the unasked, I may be a Black but I care nothing for blood status. My interest is your personality not your incident of birth."

The Gryffindor girl blushed furiously and her shoulders seemed to sag in relief at the news. Melania found the interaction amusing considering how long she had known the girl in her identity as Harry Potter. She returned to her notes and mentally counted how long it would take the eternally curious girl to ask her questions. It wasn't long.

"So, ah, what are you working on?" The curiosity proved too much and this time Melania did chuckle.

"Well as I told Bill Weasley, I'm interested in wards," she waved a hand at the relative books. "But those are here when I want to take a break from my main focus. I'm currently looking through the potions book for this coming year and rewriting the instructions for each potion."

Hermione's mouth opened and closed as her mind tried desperately to find a proper response to what she had heard. Melania leaned back in her chair with amusement and watched the conflict build in the soft brown eyes.

"But you can't!" The girl eventually cried out in outrage. "We're supposed to follow what Professor Snape teaches."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, _why_?" Melania realised her old friend was quite cute when it came to being angry, Hermione's flushed face actually distracting her from the spluttering. "Because that's how it's supposed to be! He gives us the instructions and we brew the potion. You can't just make it up as you go along!"

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione, I'm _not_ making it up as I go along," she shook her head, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "I'm not a potions prodigy by any means but I was taught by one and Aunt Cissy is going for her own Mastery in the subject. So I do actually know a little bit on the topic."

That the prodigy was one Lily Evans went without saying.

"In this country a Potions OWL doesn't require anything but the student following instructions," Hermione appeared to straighten as though she had just been proved right but Melania pushed on. "However the NEWTs change this. You're actually expected to _think_ about what you're doing to see if you can improve it. In fact, there are even some NEWT instructions which either leave out a step or don't give the proper information to brew the absolute perfect potion. You're supposed to fill in the gaps."

Once more Hermione's mouth opened and closed in the impression of a grounded fish. To someone like her, the very idea of an educational book being deliberately misleading was blasphemous.

"Now you can still pass the NEWT if you only follow the instructions," Melania pushed on, quite liking being able to explain something to Hermione rather than it being the other way around. "But you won't get an Outstanding Plus nor be eligible for a Mastery. So right now I'm working on decreasing how long it will take me to brew this year's potions without risking the end quality."

"No, that's wrong," the other girl declared, her voice pleading for it to be the case. "We're supposed to be taught what to do. That's how this works."

A light bulb suddenly went off in Melania's head as she realised that Hermione came at Potions through a rigid scientific approach rather than the creative cooking that she did.

"You've been treating this as a magical version of Chemistry, haven't you?" The question was asked gently in the hopes of not coming across as arrogant.

"Of course. How did you know?"

"Your shock at the idea of potions being fluid. It's evident in the instructions, you know. A dash of this, lower the flame to stop something reacting, add something else to change the consistency. You might want to think about moving over to Alchemy at some point rather than go further with Potions. That's far more regimented."

"You sound almost like Harry did last year when he taught our friend Neville. He kept comparing it to cooking," and by Hermione's tone it was obvious that she neither agreed nor appreciated either opinion.

Melania shrugged and went back to her notes. She couldn't help if the girl wasn't prepared to be open to other perspectives. The following silence was heavy as Hermione tried desperately to ignore the shocking news she had been given. Eventually she wasn't able to hold back and asked the most important question.

"How close are you and Harry?" She blurted out and then blushed furiously when Melania looked up with a cocked eyebrow. She let Hermione stammer for a few moments before chuckling.

"My dad is his godfather, Hermione. I met him last year and we talked a lot about our lives," she shook her head in amusement. "If anything he would be more a brother if you wanted to look at it that way."

Once again Hermione didn't seem to believe the answer and it wasn't long before the girl rose to hunt through the shelves for a book to become obsessed over. Melania let her go with a sigh. As much as she would have liked to pick up the relationships she had with people when she was Harry, she knew it simply wasn't realistic. The conversation with Hermione hammered that fact home.

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It was past dinner and Sirius had still not returned. Melania wasn't worried, she knew that her father was safe at Andi's and the delay could easily be from a busy day for Madam Bones. At some point in the evening both Narcissa and Remus caught her alone and threw up powerful Muffliato wards.

"Your aunt and I have been talking," Moony began, answering her curious expression. "We've decided that we're going to combine our sessions together as long as that's okay with you."

"My plan was to work on your potion and Occlumency skills and teach you the ways of a Slytherin," Narcissa added in her smooth voice, easily picking up where Remus left off. "However those are mostly passive subjects and would leave us both with wasteful downtime."

"And I had planned on going through James' Transfiguration notes and generally one-on-one DADA work. Both far more taxing on your magic."

"So you're planning on making sure we don't get too bored or burned out?" She asked, wanting to be sure what was being proposed. When both nodded she hummed at the simple solution. "Makes sense. And it means you'll get even longer to go without having to change, uncle Moony. Win-win for all of us."

"Indeed. I take it you are happy with this arrangement, niece?"

"Yes, Aunt Cissy," She grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief that had the werewolf Marauder worrying. "I'm very happy with it."

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oOoOo


	27. Summer Days, Part 3

**AN: This is the last "short" chapter for a while and the last that focuses on Melania's training. She does have more coming up but they won't be the focus of the next chapter. Instead that will finish off the summer and include her outing with the Wizengamot. It seems a lot of you agreed on Hermione being too stuck up in the last chapter. Alas, she puts her foot in it again here. For those who want a relationship between Melania and Hermione, it _will_ happen just not yet. Our bookworm needs a wake-up call first.**

 **JannaKalderash - I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your thoughts on Hermione's box in this chapter. Enjoy it.**

 **Grovtech - I've read one story that has Potions relying on the passive magic of the brewer. I think this is the case and would allow Squibs to have important jobs in the Magical world.**

 **TheSmallzy23 - There will be a relationship with Susan, I'm just not sure how big a part it will play in the story.**

 **JCHeidel - Thanks for the catch with the ring/locket in my AN. The locket will come into the picture later in the year as Kreacher was sworn to silence. Melania has to do something first before he can break Reg's command.**

 **actualcypher - I'm well aware of the spelling/grammar mistakes after the fact. I actually catch far more than I miss though the middle lot of "Book One" seem to be the most riddled with them. The honest answer is that I don't have the time to proofread more than I already do and only hope that any mistakes don't ruin the enjoyment of the story.**

* * *

Summer Days at Grimmauld Place, Part 3

 _Time dilation with Narcissa and Remus_

"Slytherin House is a completely different animal compared to the other three Houses," Narcissa's lesson began. "According to everything I have heard, Gryffindor has fallen into a free-for-all."

"Yeah, they act more like jackals than lions."

Melania was sitting in the small living area of the training complex with parchment and quill at the ready to take notes. Narcissa and Remus sat across from her and she couldn't help spot the slight closeness of their bodies.

"It wasn't always this way," Remus added, sadly. The state of his former Hogwarts House had been one of the more upsetting things about his year as a Professor. "While we didn't really have any type of hierarchy, James could have been said to be our version of the Gryffindor King."

Cissy thought the statement over and then nodded her agreement. "Yes. Although the Gryffindors have always been ones to put their 'leader' in his or her place if they felt it was needed."

"So what happened?" Melania asked. The 'Your House is your family' speech had failed spectacularly for Harry.

"Professor McGonagall," her tutors announced at the same time, sending Melania into giggles at their surprised looks.

"Part of the roles of the Houses' leaderships is to bridge the gap between students and staff," Cissy continued with a frown of distaste and disappointment at what had been done to the process. "Minerva McGonagall has too many responsibilities to be as hands on with her House as she should be. This results in any leadership within Gryffindor becoming useless."

"The Head of House is supposed to cross-check any points awarded and removed to their students," Moony shook his head and sighed, remembering back to his first week as a teacher. "That's no longer the case. Minerva's sole action is to leave everything to the Prefects and only get involved if she has to."

"That explains their lack of loyalty second year," Melania scoffed, taking sip of ice water that her aunt had poured for her. Narcissa didn't want her to just guzzle Butterbeer and so her first choice for a drink was always to be either water or tea. "And there's been a lot of times when the Gryffindor Prefects were out of their depths and could have done with support."

"Indeed," Narcissa sneered, completely unimpressed by the state of the Lions. "And Ravenclaw is almost as bad."

"They've never really had any solid hierarchy. For a long time the Ravens were seen as the Grey or Dark-Grey House. Where brains and magic could flourish in whatever direction a student wanted without outside influence."

The picture Remus painted was nothing like the Ravenclaw House that Harry had been exposed to and Melania said so.

"That isn't quite the fault of Professor Flitwick, though Morgana knows he needs to tighten up their lack of respect for their own," Narcissa had not been impressed by Melania's tales of Luna's bullying and had agreed with putting the girl under House Black protection in the coming year. "It's actually to do with the first Blood War."

Melania looked up from her note taking with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Ravenclaw was almost evenly split between those who sided with Riddle and those who fought against him," Remus explained, his hand only slightly shaking when it picked up his tea. She immediately knew that he was remembering someone he had lost. Narcissa saw the tremor and laid a gentle touch on his arm in support and he returned the gesture with a soft smile. "From what I understand, their new attitude is distance, distance, distance. The Ravens try to stay out of everything now."

"Yes," Narcissa nodded with her own distant look. "Both Bella and your mother would have been ideal Ravenclaws for what the House originally stood for. Certainly not for its current attitude."

"They don't want to be neutral, they want to be ignored," Melania understood, remembering all too well how quiet the blue-trimmed students had been during many of the events in Harry's school life. "Has Hufflepuff changed since you were there?"

Both her tutors gave a shake of the head and their own type of smile

"No. They still have their mentorship program and will support each other come hell or high water," Remus told her. "And they're very vicious if one of their own is the perceived injured party."

She thought about how many Puffs wore the 'Support Cedric' badges and couldn't argue against her uncle's words.

"Which brings us back to Slytherin. The Slytherin King or Queen is not decided on pure power alone. Nor political reach, nor even the strength of their personality," Narcissa's words brought her out of her musing and she immediately focused on her aunt. "They are almost always chosen for some combination of the three. Riddle was King with Abraxas Malfoy as his Second. Lucius and I were King and Queen while Rodolphus Lestrange was Lucius' Second."

Narcissa saw her niece's frown and knew the question that was about to be asked.

"My dear, both Lucius and I took our places through hard work. His father being part of the Slytherin Court only gave him a head-start, nothing more."

"So Draco..."

"Draco has two parents and one grandparent who was the Slytherin leader," Remus concluded for her. "This, along with Death Eater politics, is why he's been able to act the way he has."

"And this, my niece, is why I will teach you how to be a _true_ Slytherin Queen. You will take control of that once proud House and turn it back into what it should be."

Narcissa was ruthless. She drilled Melania on the hidden ways of Slytherin House, including acts and words only those of the silver and green should ever know. Melania was forced to memorise everything and something new was only taught once she could repeat everything else forwards, backwards and sideways. Her aunt was a true Alpha personalty and blossomed from being able to properly express herself for the first time in years.

That she had always secretly wanted a daughter only made their growing bond that much stronger.

In balance, Moony was a pure Beta. He would defer to Narcissa's expertise when the older woman spoke of being a leader but would have plenty of advice for dealing with those not wanting such a position. This meant that Melania was learning both sides of the the leadership divide and wouldn't be found wanting when dealing with any political situation.

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oOoOo

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It was late one night and the two adults believed Melania to be asleep. Remus Lupin found Narcissa staring off into space, her late night cup of tea forgotten as she warred with old memories and past regrets.

"Narcissa?" His soft voice cut through her thoughts. She didn't immediately reply but he had patience.

"He was a good man once," she said, eventually. Her iron control breaking around the edges of her voice for him to hear her pain. "I would never have agreed to the betrothal if he wasn't."

Remus took his time moving closer, not wanting to startle her frayed emotions. Even when he was sitting in front of her she didn't react, instead continuing to stare off into the past.

"It was power," she explained. "Abraxas remained an honourable man but Lucius revelled in the power he had over others. I've lost a lot to that type of power."

"And you've gained as well," he pushed, gently taking her hand so that she was forced to look at him. "You're back with your sister. You have a bubbly niece in Dora and another who's almost like your daughter."

"What are you..."

"I've seen how you look at Melania," he gave her a knowing smile. It was small with the hints of pain in his eyes but it was a smile nonetheless. "And I've seen how she responds to you. You're part of a growing, loving, family, Narcissa. One that is there for you when you need them."

Narcissa Black ignored the warm hand in hers. The ghosts were receding from her pale eyes to be replaced by the sharp intelligence she had always possessed. She had failed to look at what she now possessed, instead being too focused on what she had lost. Yet this gentle wolf had set her right.

"And what of you, Remus Lupin? I've seen your shadows when you talk with my niece."

"I let them get away with everything. I put their friendship ahead of doing what was right," he admitted with heavy regrets. She knew exactly who _they_ were. "I stood back and did nothing."

Narcissa released his hand and leaned back in her chair, her penetrating gaze giving his scruffy appearance a more detailed look. Remus knew the look and chuckled, waving his hand between them for her to speak. "Go ahead. Get it off your chest."

"You suffer from the same affliction Sirius did before last year," she immediately announced and his eyebrows rose at her wording. "Sirius was born a Black and identified himself as one in the negative sense. Everything he did, everything he thought and said, was aimed at spitting in the eye of being a Black. What he _should_ have done is taken his upbringing, his being a Black, and used it for what he saw as good. To use his status for good rather than an excuse to lament."

Out of all the things Narcissa could have said to Remus, this was the very last thing he expected.

"He could have taken his training and shown the world that being a Black was more than being Dark Slytherins obsessed with Blood Purity," her voice was heated, filled with the same passion as when she drilled Melania in the ways of how the real Slytherin House should run.

"Isn't that what he's doing now?" Remus frowned, thrown for a loop at her rant.

"It is. But it's only because of Harry and now Melania," she agreed with a small nod. "Parental responsibilities have forced my cousin to realise he can be a Black for the right purposes. You, Remus Lupin, must find your own purpose."

"Excuse me?" Moony blinked stupidly at the seemingly random detour in topic.

"You associate yourself as a wolf. You see yourself as everything negative about being a werewolf. You rail at your existence and yet do nothing to change it."

Remus' initial reaction was to rant at her for the words. Just how was he supposed to change being a werewolf? Except the way she spoke was exactly how his Cub had put Dumbledore in his place during their big meal together. He quickly realised why she had brought up Sirius before saying her piece. Moony managed to hold his tongue as the fiery and beautiful woman in front of him gave him both barrels.

"You are best friends with the father of Lady Black yet you still wear your threadbare clothes. You're a brave man, Remus Lupin. An excellent teacher and without your curse you would have at least two Masteries," Narcissa elegantly rose and moved towards the bedrooms. She stopped part way to look back at the flummoxed man. "You could turn being a werewolf into a badge of honour, Remus Lupin. _I was turned as a child yet look at me. I have become a man I'm proud of_ _ **despite**_ _being a wolf._ All you need is to have a good enough reason to change."

Neither knew that a pair of laurel green eyes watched the interaction from the shadows, protectively covered by a Potter invisibility cloak. Neither would they know why their charge wore a Marauder worthy grin for the entirety of the next day.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

While the Slytherin lessons took up almost half of their first training session, it wasn't the only area that Melania was improving in. The evenings were taken up by her and Remus working through James' journal and her learning how to apply Transfiguration in battle.

"You're a quick whippet, Cub," he said during one such lecture. "It isn't that I want to turn you into a Transfiguration dueller. I want you to have it as a second string to your bow, especially when you're up against heavy spell fire."

"It is also a very powerful piece of magic," Narcissa spoke up from where she was reading Lily's Potion journal for the umpteenth time. "Most of us Blacks tend to lean very heavily to speed, power and spells. Now imagine if you suddenly pull out a very complex piece of Transfiguration during a battle. You could very easily turn the tide in your favour."

And with that endorsement, Melania pushed herself to better herself in the subject even against the growing frustrations. Transfiguration was simply _not_ something came easy to the Lady Black and it needed Moony sitting her down to explain why.

"Okay, Cub, what's the difference between Charms and Transfiguration?"

"Charms add something to target, Transfiguration changes the target into something completely different," she answered with a shrug, simplifying what she had read in _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1_.

"Basic," Narcissa scoffed from her position behind her niece and Melania winced, knowing she had missed something vital.

"Transfiguration is the complete manipulation of the physical. You don't just have something appear to be something else, you _make_ it become something else," Remus patiently explained in his Professor mode. Her honorary uncle had been much more focused and passionate since Narcissa's wake-up call. "Now a general rule of thumb is that those with a much rigid view on life are better equipped to go far in Transfiguration."

"What do you mean?" She frowned, feeling as though she was on the verge of understanding if only she had a vital piece of information.

"Albus Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, James Potter, Minerva McGonagall. All four are or were highly talented in Transfiguration. Now, with what I just told you, can you see why?"

She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling, arms crossed as she thought through the lesson. The only sound was the soft tapping of her tongue clicking off the roof of her mouth.

"Dumbledore is focused on his master plan and doesn't believe anyone else can be right. Hermione lives her world in a taped-up, glued together box of her own making," Melania's eyes widened as she connected the dots and saw the point Moony was leading her to. He smiled when he saw her come to the correct conclusion. "Professor McGonagall only knows how to follow the rules, or the Headmaster, and dad told me how James only saw the world in terms of Light and Dark magic."

"Exactly," Moony's proud grin brought a warmth to her chest and she was immediately smiling back. "Now Charms are much more subtle and focus more on degrees. The Cheering Charm doesn't make someone extremely happy on its own. It all depends on the initial mood of the person being Charmed and the power of the spell."

"What your enthusiastic teacher is trying to say," Narcissa spoke up as Remus was about to go off on a tangent to explain how different Charms acted differently in different situations. "Is that someone talented in Charm is generally far more flexible in their world view. You and your mother being the standout examples."

"What about you, Aunt Cissy?" She asked, grinning at Moony's flush.

"I was one of those exceptions to prove the rule, niece. I was equally good at both but not enough to gain a Mastery in either. Now, back to your lesson, dear."

.

.

oOoOo

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The break of real-time between Melania's double training session was notable for two things. Sirius returned not long after breakfast with a satisfied smirk and with the years seeming to have melted off him. Melania wrinkled her nose at the idea of her father 'getting lucky' but his reassuring nod eased the knot in her stomach. Apparently Amelia Bones hadn't lost her mind at Melania's existence.

As one Marauder came back to Grimmauld Place so the second left. Moony pulled his friend into a room and whatever they talked about had both men walking out with beaming grins. He then left for hours and was a completely changed man upon his return. Gone were the years-old clothes and the tatty hair. In their place was a modern, well tailored outfit and a smart haircut that highlighted his eyes.

Melania's inner girl squealed and did a happy dance at the new, improved Moony. Especially when she saw how much Narcissa's approving nod meant to her uncle. Her sadistic side also enjoyed the twins having to double Stupefy Ron when the redhead saw Remus' new look. Jealousy was so easy to spot on the redhead.

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oOoOo

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The second session led off with the three standing beneath duelling wards. Melania faced off against Moony while Narcissa watched from behind her niece.

"Alright, Cub, I know it's not a pleasant memory but can you tell me what went wrong at the trial?"

"I got hit? Ow..." Her smart remark got a stinging hex from Cissy's wand. Melania rubbed her sore hip and sent her aunt a pout, only to get an indifferent look in return.

"Don't be cheeky. This is important," Narcissa scolded and Melania had the good graces to look abashed.

"I didn't move fast enough," she admitted with a sigh, her chest aching in memory of the curse. "I completely froze when the spell was cast."

"Exactly," Remus nodded, his eyes clouding over briefly. "For all Filius' excellent work and skill, he taught Harry how to duel. I have no doubt that had wands already been drawn then the curse wouldn't have landed."

"So what are we...OW! Aunt Cissy, stop that!"

This time there was definitely a hint of a smirk to the woman's lips when her niece glared her way.

"And _that's_ what we're going to be doing for the next eighteen days," the Marauder laughed, the years falling off him as he smiled. "We're not going to teach you to duel, we're going to teach you how to _fight_. And that includes sneak attacks."

Melania looked between the two and felt her blood rush at what was being promised. Her returning grin was pure Black as her Cedar wand slipped into her waiting grip.

"Uncle Moony...Let's dance."

It was eighteen fun and exhausting days of spell fire, ducking, dodging and shielding for all three within the time bubble. While they couldn't do too much in case of damage to the environment, there were very few spells that were off limits. The duelling skills developed by Professor Flitwick were honed into a dangerous weapon by the far more earthly and brutal instincts of Remus Lupin.

Under the guidance of Narcissa, the man had accepted and found pride in the experiences of his hard life. He brought each one to the table for his honorary niece to learn; ranging from the prank battles that the Marauders had fought with each other to everything learned during the First Blood War.

Narcissa wasn't idle in the mock battles and neither was she only relegated to cheap shots. She admitted that in the early days of Riddle's first rise she had been a constantly practice companion of Bellatrix. Each and every spell the Black Sisters had been taught, taught themselves, or learned the hard way during and after Hogwarts was shared with the young Lady Black.

During one quiet night as Melania slept, Narcissa would make a comment about how similar Melania was to a younger, much saner, Bella. Moony's reply that Cissy's training was a way of honouring the girl Bella used to be, rather than the woman she became, earned the werewolf a rare hug.

Narcissa also drove her niece in improving her Potion skills. It took Melania almost two weeks of the intense tutoring before she realised she was being pushed towards Mastery level knowledge in the subject. When she brought it up, the woman simply gave her a look as though the answer was obvious.

"You are a Black. If you show talent then you will be taught as much as needed to have that talent grow. There is no walking away from what you're good at in this family."

.

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oOoOo

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 _17th August, 1995_

Melania was once again in the library working through an eclectic collection of books. She had began her own journals, some blood-bound so only family could read them, and was spending the day furiously making notes on all the things she had learned in the last two nights/thirty-six days.

Grimmauld Place was mostly quiet. The twins were in their own room working on their joke products while Ron, Hermione and Ginny spent most of their time in one of theirs. Under the orders of the Supreme Asslord Dumbledore they had not yet tried contacting Harry and Melania wondered if they ever would.

Narcissa had created a small nest in one of the dark corners of the library and was familiarising herself with every Potions book their family possessed. It seemed the subject was truly a hidden passion of hers and reading about it had quickly become an addiction. The rest of the adults were in the kitchen having a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Both Sirius and Remus had confessed that Dumbledore had made the Order members take oaths to keep them from sharing too much with outsiders. She immediately got around the restriction by using an invisible Winky. This way she would always know the important things and her Family had a better chance of staying safe.

Soft footfalls announced someone approaching and Melania looked up to meet the dark gaze of a certain Slytherin Head of House. She put down her quill and leaned back in the chair in order to give the man her full attention.

"Miss Black," Snape said with his customary sneer, sharp eyes quickly assessing what she had been doing.

"Master Snape," she gave the man the respect his Mastery deserved. Under Cissy's watchful gaze she now fully understood what the man had gone through to become the youngest ever holder of the title. "I was hoping to have a world with my future Head of House before Hogwarts started."

"You're so sure you'll be joining my Snakes, are you?" His eyebrow rose at the way she was treating him. It was certainly already the same as his Slytherins did in private. "Not going to join Gryffindor along with your father?"

"Oh please," Melania laughed and it caused her laurel eyes to shine with amusement. "No, I'll be proudly following the family's tradition and wearing green come the Sorting. There's absolutely no doubt about that."

"Indeed," A tenseness she hadn't been aware of appeared to ease from his body at the pride in her voice at being a future snake. The dark eyes quickly shot back towards the library door as though to burn a hole through it and then he sat, one leg crossed over the over the stare at Melania. "And what is you wish to speak to me about?"

"Being Lady Black means I'll need to leave school grounds to deal with annoying politics," she explained, holding the man's gaze to show her lack of being intimidated. "I'll do my best to keep the trips as few and far between as possible but you need to be aware that they'll happen."

"If you indeed do become a Slytherin then I shall be keeping an eye on your work, Miss Black," Snape answered with a narrowing of the eyes. "If I find that these _extracurricular_ activities affecting your work then you'll be forced to name a proxy in all dealings."

The sneering at the word extracurricular made it obvious how little he cared for the topic. She nodded her acceptance, knowing that he was being completely fair in both allowing her freedom and the warning.

"And what is it that had you seek me out, Master Snape?"

"Ah, yes," He drawled with disgust at being reminded of his mission. "It appears you have already been pulled into the dispute between the two Houses. Yet you've not even been officially inducted into mine."

"Granger..." Melania growled, rubbing a hand over her face in frustrations. "Let me guess, she came to you about my attitude towards Potions?"

"I believe I was told by the _delightful_ Miss Granger that, quote, 'she acts like she knows more about Potions that you do, Professor.' End quote," The man appeared to find it highly amusing that the well known Gryffindor had accused another girl of being a Know-It-All.

Melania gave a heavy sigh and dug out the notebook Hermione had seen her work on a few days previous. A quick flick through the pages had her find what she was looking for and she slid the journal across the table for Snape to read. His expression was unreadable as she acted, his Occlumency mask falling sharply at one of her mannerisms and it took him a few moments to realise what she wanted him to do. When he did so, he was shaken to his core.

Severus Snape had long ago lost his school Potion books and the volume of notes that he had filled in each of them. At first he thought the daughter of his old nemesis had found his fifth year book and merely copied his work. But a closer examination of the small and neat script covering the many pages proved that to be a fallacy. Some of the girl's notes were things he had not thought of until his NEWTs and others lacked some of his added steps.

"This is all your work?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. He _had_ to ask. He had been a teacher for a little over thirteen years and had failed to find anyone who did what he had once done. "No one helped you at all?"

"I've been working with Aunt Narcissa but everything in that journal is all my own work. Auntie makes sure I earn any bonus directions to a recipe."

"That sounds like Narcissa," Snape smirked, eyes dropping back to the journal in hand. Miss Granger's outrage suddenly became far more understandable if she came across a fellow student doing this. He gave it back with the care it deserved and pointed at one of the recipes lacking an observation he had made. "Mandrake root has a better potency when cut with a diamond blade. The diamond also allows a clean slice rather than hard chop."

"Of course it does!" Melania exclaimed, looking as though she was about to slap her forehead at the miss.

She quickly took up the quill and went through all four journals to find any additional mentions of Mandrake root in order to put the new piece of information in. She never noticed Snape's amusement at essentially being dismissed by one of his own students. He rose from the chair and stalked out of the library, cloak billowing as was its nature, to hunt down an obnoxious lion for telling tales.

Neither knew that a silence Narcissa had observed the entire exchange nor that she nodded her approval when he gave the advice. She drifted back to her corner and fought to keep images of a werewolf from interfering with her reading.

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oOoOo


	28. Nobody on the Road, Nobody on the Beach

**AN: Well this is uploaded a few hours later than planned. I know I said it would be the end of the summer but Fleur came along and dragged everyone away for some fun. This chapter isn't a big enough part of the story to warrant becoming a 15-20K monster so I trimmed off everything for the next one. Enjoy!**

 **JannaKalderash - I never got the impression that Hogwarts kept in touch with the parents, especially the Muggle-borns. I doubt the Grangers heard anything about the school that didn't come directly from Hermione.**

 **lionheart721 - Maybe...I certainly wouldn't say the smart people won't work out who she used to be.**

 **To the guest asking about the relationships - I'll try to do some scenes on Narcissa/Remus and Sirius/Amelia but if you hadn't noticed, the key focus is always Harry/Melania.**

* * *

Nobody on the Road, Nobody on the Beach

 _17th August, 1995 – The final one-on-one training_

Melania came bounding down the staircase, her eyes alight with excitement at her last individual training session. That same enthusiasm wilted as rapidly as it had grown when she failed to see a pink-haired Auror waiting at the door. Andromeda saw the confusion and disappointment on her niece's face and immediately knew she had to speak to her daughter.

"Amelia has been sending the Ministry into a tizzy ever since your reprobate of a father left my home," she explained in a teasing voice to ease the disappointment. "Nymphadora has to work overnight."

"It's fine, auntie," Melania lied, doing a terrible job of giving an empty smile. "No one told me is all."

"Hmm...well come on then. We've got work to do."

Andromeda walked through the time barrier without looking back and Melania never saw the mixture of amusement and worry colouring her aunt's eyes. She followed and was taken aback by the change in the main room. It had been mostly sparse during her previous sessions in order to use for duelling practice but now the floor was littered with different sized circular areas.

"Our training outfits are in our rooms. I expect you to be back here in under five minutes," Andi commanded, already moving towards her own bedroom. "And for the love of Morgana, _don't_ forget your knives."

Melania ran to hers and was surprised to find two, very small piece of Lycra and nothing else. She didn't question it and few seconds over four minutes later a bare footed Melania was racing out of her room. She'd been forced to take an extra half minute after realising that the top and shorts were meant to be worn without underwear. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight, high, bun to keep any stray locks out of her eyes.

Andromeda was in the same outfit and had done something similar to her hair. The older woman ran a harsh gaze over her niece's look and nodded her approval.

"The first thing you need to know about are these," Andi easily flipped her two knives over to reveal the underside of the handle where a small rune had been carved into the bone. Melania turned hers over to see the same with her own weapons. "Press your thumbs over the runes and say _tuitio_."

She felt the familiar prick of blood being taken and then the edges of all four knives began to softly glow. Andromeda held out her left arm and ran her right knife across the wrist. The blade's glow flared for a second and all that showed the weapon's passing was a small welt.

"It feels like the stinging hex," she explained. Melania was amazed at the protective magic imbued in the weapons and Andromeda allowed herself to smile at the awe in her niece's eyes. "To release the shield we do the same and say _sanguis_."

"Protect. Bloodshed."

"Exactly," Andi stepped away from her niece and changed grip so that the left blade was resting against her forearm. "The _Black Knife_ gave you the knowledge on how to use these weapons. It buried it deep into your instincts. Which is the same as saying there is plenty of gold in the world as long as you dig for it. My job, for our entire eighteen days, is to make you dig."

She struck hard and fast. A forward strike had Melania stumbling to the side and directly into a reverse slice that left a painful welt across her ribs. The younger Black swore and tried backing away from the relentless attacks. Such was the fury of Andromeda's assault that Melania was barely able to make a single weak attempt of her own. A few minutes later and she was still stumbling, her body a mass of welts that were constantly being added to. Her lip pulled back in an angry snarl and she fell back on what was becoming a comfortable trick.

Melania threw herself backwards from another Andromeda lunge and sent a weak wandless banishing charm at the floor. The spell caused her to be propelled up and away from her aunt and she back-flipped into a crouch ten feet away from her stunned aunt.

"Impressive."

Andi fought to keep her pride hidden. The move had surprised her and she knew it could be a life saver in true combat. Melania didn't respond, something that she approved of. Instincts had the girl adjusting her grip until it was a reversed version of Andromeda's and then the two Black women went at it.

"Don't overextend," Andi snapped as she easily avoided a left handed strike, swiping yet another welt down Melania's forearm.

All of Melania's duelling practice was put to use as she was forced to constantly move. Andromeda was relentless and Melania's body was one giant welt before the first hour was close to being finished. Yet, for all that, she could feel understanding coming to her. It was a slow, painful process but they were indeed digging for the information the _Knife_ had given her.

She actually thought that things would let off when her legs gave out. Instead her tyrant of an aunt had them sit in facing chairs so that they practised moves sitting down. It was a punishing singular focus and they would go minutes without speaking as Melania worked on blocking and countering.

This set their heir routine was set in stone. It was Melania's first time to not have one of her mentors allow a digression from their chosen field. When she found the bravery to mention it to Andromeda, she received a scowl in return.

"Out there, you are my niece. Out there, you can talk to me about anything and we will laugh, joke and you can even cry on my shoulder. In here, I have one job; to push you hard enough that a knife in your hand means you survive and your enemy doesn't. That's it."

It was the last time Melania dared talk about anything not to do with her training. She actually found the single-minded focus refreshing and even cleansing as it forced her to put all her worries and fears aside. Her mind was so active with new moves and corrections of old ones that she didn't even have the energy to think about anyone or anything outside of the bubble. She would later wonder if that wasn't part of her aunt's plan.

The days blurred together. When she wasn't put through a free-for-all, Andromeda put Melania within one of the small circled areas. The instruction was a simple one. Whatever happened, don't get hit and by Morgana's name, don't step out of the circle. The first time Melania broke the second rule was the only time Andromeda proved her true skill with the weapons. The Black Sister figuratively carved her niece up with such intensity that Melania wondered if the wrong sister was considered the most dangerous in the family.

Yet for all she was being beaten down Melania found herself comfortable in using the weapons by the time they were ready to leave the time bubble. The important thing was her ability to move and strike as it was almost solely the Blacks who used bladed weapons alongside their wands. If she found herself relying on her knife skills against Bella then she had a lot more problems than trying to win a knife fight.

"I had originally thought of giving you lessons in healing," Andi said once she put aside her training personality. "But the key thing about being a healer is understanding an injury."

"You don't think I can do that?" Melania frowned, unsure what was being said.

"Melania, people with high pain thresholds simply can't be Healers. I can heal a broken arm because I understand what my patient is feeling. I understand the pain they're going through," Andromeda's grey eyes, almost the only feature that distinguished her from Bella, were alive with passion about a subject dear to her heart. "But you're able to work through a broken arm. You're able to ignore pain that would debilitate someone else."

Melania's face fell as old insecurities rose and she was quickly pulled into a fierce, love-filled, hug.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's not a bad thing," Andi promised, her voice full of love. "As much as I hate why you can do that, that doesn't stop it being a boon. Never be ashamed of what you can do."

"Thank you, auntie."

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oOoOo

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 _18th August, 1995_

The day saw the Black sisters spending their time together, giving Narcissa an extra protection against Ron's constant glaring. Melania's eyes narrowed each time she saw the obnoxious git sending dirty looks towards her aunt and once even found herself stroking her knife's handle. She only realised she was doing it when Ron's eyes widened when he glanced her way. He quickly made his exist from the room to find Molly and Ginny caught up with Melania not ten minutes later.

"Excuse me but..um...do you have a problem with my brother?"

 _Bless her little heart._ Melania thought as the younger girl flustered between her natural Weasley loudness and the nerves of speaking to a relative stranger.

"Ginevra Weasley, prefers Ginny. Correct?" She loved throwing a fact out that only Harry could have told her and seeing how people reacted. The tips of Ginny's ears began to darkened at her full name only for the girl to smile when Melania finished. "I understand your brother has issues with my cousin but he has no right to push those on my aunt. I'm ready to banish him from my home if he doesn't start behaving."

"I'll talk to him but you might end up doing that anyway," Ginny sighed, taking the offered seat that Melania waved her into. "Ron has trouble seeing anything he doesn't want to. It comes with being the sixth son."

"Don't let him fool you, Ginny," Melania said with a shake of her head, heat colouring her words. Beneath the annoying topic she realised how good it felt to talk to one of Harry's friends. "People decide to stay in their little boxes until they grow up or are forced to. And sometimes nothing is strong enough to force them."

"Are we talking about my brother or Hermione?" Came the smart reply that had Melania's eyebrows raising. "What? I heard Professor Snape ripping into her yesterday for trying to get you into trouble. She was pretty embarrassed by it."

Melania sighed and looked to the ceiling as though she could see through it into the girl's bedroom. Harry's best friend had barely shown her face since breakfast and now Melania knew why.

"Don't feel sorry for her," Ginny said, quickly, and the words had her looking back to the red-head. "She told me what happened and I told her off for being an idiot."

"You're an interesting girl," and it was the truth. As Harry, she had never seen the youngest Weasley act like this.

"I've been forced to grow up," Ginny replied softly with a shrug. The girl saw Melania's softening look and nodded. "Harry told you about my first year then?"

"He did."

"I thought so. The sad thing is that I only felt sorry for myself and didn't really try to change anything," Ginny looked away and Melania realised the girl needed to get this off her chest. "I believed that Harry could save me if something else happened. Then he was entered the tournament and attacked by Lucius Malfoy. The same man who gave me the diary. I knew then I had to change. That Harry isn't always going to be there to save me.

"Don't feel bad about Hermione," Ginny finished, rising from her chair. "She doesn't know what to do without Harry and she's struggling."

The girl walked off to leave a speechless and confused Melania behind. She didn't know what to do with what she had heard, or even if she should do anything at all. She was saved from the brain twister by the wards indicating an incoming Floo connection and then a familiar head of silvery-blonde hair was being cleaned of soot.

"Fleur!" She squealed, running over to her friend in joy and relief. The older French girl laughed and caught Melania's tackle with a fierce hug of her own.

Andromeda and Narcissa chuckled at her exuberance but neither teenager cared. The blonde had been attempting to teach her young friend a proper language but had so far only managed a small success. Melania got through the 'hello', 'how are you' and 'I'm fine' before becoming completely lost in her friend's reply.

"Stop, stop," she laughed as she dragged Fleur over to an extremely comfortable sofa that just so happened to be out of view to the older women. "I barely caught any of that."

"I said that it's wonderful to see you again, my friend." Fleur giggled, her English far better than the fake butchery it had been during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. In truth her father had taught her it for years. "I got the job with Gringotts."

Melania shook her head at the news, dark locks flowing around the sharp face to hide one of her laurel eyes. "I still don't like the idea of you being a member of the Order..."

"I am protected, ma minette," Fleur promised and her thumb bent into her palm to indicate her hidden ring. "It also gives me a chance to learn Curse Breaking. My tutors always said I should think about it as a career."

"Just remember you're always welcome to stay here if you need space for the parents," Melania grinned mischievously as she added the next bit. "Or if you want some private time with a boy that's taken your fancy."

Fleur's mouth dropped at the insinuation and she reached across to give a backhanded slap to Melania's arm to hush the giggling girl.

"And what of you?" The teasing smirk quickly faded at Melania's sobering expression and the Veela worried over her friend's heart. "Tell me, chérie. What's wrong?"

"Dora missed my training last night," Melania answered, trying desperately to fight against the watering of her eyes. "Now she's doing something big for Amelia Bones and I don't know if I'll see her again before I go to Hogwarts."

The words faded at the end and Fleur pulled her into a cuddle until she was able to regain her control.

"We'll work it out, my friend," she promised the dark-haired girl. "We'll work it out."

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oOoOo

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 _This was not what I thought Fleur meant when she promised to work it out._ Melania mentally grumbled as she made her way to the second floor and a certain bedroom. She pushed the negative thoughts away to keep them from showing on her face and gave the bare door a commanding knock.

"Just a minute," Hermione's frantic tone sounded out and Melania bit back a laugh. She knew that high-pitched tilt to her old friend's voice. It usually meant she was either so engrossed in a book she'd lost track of time or that she was up to no good. Melania found it funny that the teachers at Hogwarts seemed to only believe in the former.

The door opened and she was left staring into those soft brown eyes. It broke Melania's heart to see the conflicting emotions in their depths.

"Oh...Lady Black..." Harry's best friend stammered and she realised that Hermione probably thought she was there about the Potions issue.

"I did say you could call me Melania, Hermione," she smiled in an attempt to defuse the wildly growing nerves of the other girl and saw the room's other occupant. "Hello again, Ginny."

Ginny waved from her bed with a reddening face as she fought against laughing at Hermione's obvious confusion at not being evicted for going to Snape. Melania couldn't help it and sent the ginger a cheeky wink and smirk that sent her off into hand-muffled giggles.

"A very dear friend of mine is part-staying here now and she demanded that we go out," she explained after turning back to Hermione who blinked at the news. "So how would you two like to make it a girl's trip?"

"Who is it?"

"Where are we going?"

"Paris. The _R_ _ue des R_ ê _ves,_ " she answered Ginny's question first. "And it's Fleur Delacour."

"We can't go to Paris. Mum would go nuts!"

"How do you know Fleur?"

She sighed and, as she pinched the bridge of her nose, wondered if Fleur was secretly laughing at her after suggesting she do this. Having her eyes closed meant she messed the glares the other two girls sent each other for talking over their own question.

"I met her not long after Harry did and your mum left not five minutes ago with Ron. They Floo'd back to your home," her tone hardened as she continued, her frustration clear. "I'm Lady Black, Fleur is an adult both here and in France, and you two would be under our care. Now, are you coming or not?"

They came. Or rather, Ginny decided that it was time to see the world and forced Hermione along for the ride. Hermione's resistance floundered to Ginny's decision as she didn't feel comfortable putting the Weasley girl's protection in anyone's hands but hers.

It was a smirking French girl that the three girls eventually met at the Floo. _Yep. She knew asking them would drive me nuts._ As far as Melania was concerned the important adults in her father, uncle and both aunts knew of the trip and that as good enough. Somehow the other two felt a desperate need to write letters to the Weasley matriarch that had been left on the kitchen table. Melania was only glad that Howlers couldn't be sent internationally.

"We must go through somewhere else before we enter France," the tall blonde explained to the girls after they exchanged pleasantries. "Ma minette and I will go through together and you two joined after a little wait, oui?"

"Oui. I mean, yes, that's fine," Hermione automatically answered. Her summers away in France meaning she already had a smattering of understanding with the Language of Love.

"Good. The address is Delacour Island," her blue eyes sparkled with mischief just before her arm wrapped around Melania's waist to pull her close, making the girl squeak in surprise. "Do it like so. _Delacour Island._ "

A whoosh of green flames and intense spinning resulted in two soot covered giggling girls being shot out of the Floo and rolling over an expensive carpet. They were still there when Apolline came running into the room with her wand drawn.

"Fleur!" The older version of her daughter cried out in half exasperation, half pleasure at seeing the two friends enjoying themselves. A quick swish cleaned the absolute mess they had made to the house's visitors entrance. "What did I tell you about coming in this way? You almost gave me heart failure. Little Melania, it is so wonderful to see you again. I hope you haven't let this one get you into trouble."

"It's fine, maman," the girl promised as the two friends finally pulled themselves to their feet. Each hugged and kissed Apolline hello. "We're going to Rue des Rêves with a couple of friends."

"And you wanted to get around International Clearance," Apolline nodded knowingly as the Floo announced the arrival of Hermione and Ginny. "These must be the two girls you're kidnapping away for a day of shopping. Welcome, mes amies."

The two Hogwarts students arrived in a much more refined fashion that had Melania glaring at her unrepentant friend.

"Now, I understand that you're going to Rue des Rêves, yes?" Apolline asked after she had helped smooth down Hermione's hair as much as it would go. "Well do not worry about ze French. Merely speak the translation in Anglais and you'll arrive there safely."

"Street of Dreams," Melania offered as soon as she saw the panicked look cross Ginny's face. The girl smiled in thanks and the quartet were once again spinning through the Floo Network, this time across the channel to one of the most famous Magical shopping centres in the world.

The Germans might have their Pfad der Magie with its equal split between the East and West European branches of magic, the Italians had their efficient and commanding Percorsco Magico, and the Iberian Collective boasted the awe inspiring Terra da Maravilha, but the Rue des Rêves was capable of standing with them all. The area was designed and built by the same hands who created the Palace of Versailles and it showed. Entire sections enabled the mixing of Muggle and Magical while Muggle Repelling Wards kept other areas strictly segregated.

The four young women arrived in the marble covered arrivals area and was immediately swept into the excitement buzzing around them. Even Fleur, who had seen it all countless times, and Hermione, who dragged her parents to Versailles during every trip to the country, were taken in by the wonders around them. Although if pushed, they'd only be willing to admit to excitement for the sake of their friends.

"It has a special Illusion Fidelius," Fleur said, explaining the protections of her family's English home to the curious Hermione. "Anyone arriving through the Floo we did would see something completely different if they went into the grounds. We can show people around without compromising our safety."

"But how does that work for people who know the Secret?" The ever curious girl asked.

"Ah, in that case it overlaps. We can see the illusion as well as the reality. Zis way we don't break the Secret when someone talks about a feature which isn't really there."

Melania had slipped alongside the wide-eyed Ginny who kept looking at all the high-end fashions and then down at her second hand clothes. She squeezed the embarrassed girl's arm to gain her attention.

"I'm not offering a new wardrobe...Morgana knows what your mother and Ron would say about that...but if you see a few things you like, I'll get them for you. Fleur's going to do the same with Hermione."

"But I can't...I mean...why?" Ginny asked in a soft, tear-filled voice, completely overcome by the offer.

"Because every girl deserves to have something special of their own."

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oOoOo

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.

The girls first port of call turned out to be a salon Fleur just knew would absolutely _love_ to get their fingers on Hermione's hair. The Gryffindors were in for a surprise when the blonde stormed up to one of the stylists and spoke rapidly in French yet they were able to understand every heavily accented word.

"Translation wards," Melania explained, not hiding her own amazement about something she had only heard about. "As long as someone is talking to or about you, then you'll understand them. It's the same in reverse for everyone who works in the area. You can still hear accents so you know where people are from."

"Oui, and there is a proximity cluster in the runic display for talking to people close to you who may not be aware of you," Fleur added, proud of her friend's ability to simplify such a complex piece of magic.

Hermione looked to be in heaven at the information and was lost inside her mind as she ran through everything such magic could be used for. She was so caught up in her academic daydreaming that she didn't realise the stylist was walking around her tutting away in disgust.

"Non, non, non," the man declared in abject horror, his hands waving around the air as though trying to protect himself from what he was seeing. "What have they done to such a bountiful delight? We must rectify immediately!"

The helpless girl was taken away to a private area with the other three sedately following, each having their own giggle at Hermione's dawning look of horror. The private room allowed them to sit back with a coffee and biscuits while the man, Gaston Vieira, worked his magic.

Fleur was having a ball. The upcoming war was putting stress on all her loved ones and seeing the weight lift from Melania's shoulders caused her heart to swell. The raven-headed girl seemed fascinated by the rampaging Gaston who answered Hermione's endless questions. Apparently the infamous hair of Hogwarts was in a state of transition to the luscious curls of womanhood they were meant to be. But the 'pathetic excuse of products that only hoped to be merely poor at their job' used to treat it had stalled the change. Ginny simply sat quietly in awe and was very close to sensory overload. To the youngest Weasley, the trip was already turning into an eye opener in regards to what the world could be like for her if she branched out of the Molly view of life.

Gaston truly was a genius. He declared the now wavy-headed Hermione a masterpiece after only forty-five minutes and the girl was unable to argue the opinion. She couldn't believe the change and could see the type of woman she would be in the not too distant future. It was a vision that she liked very much and she found her self-confidence growing even more as the day continued. Gaston made sure to provide ample amounts of the correct products to keep her from falling back on what she'd previously used.

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oOoOo

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At some point the girls found themselves in an exclusive lingerie store that had Ginny and Hermione blushing wildly at some of the items on display. This time it was both girls who were dragged away by enthusiastic helpers demanding to make sure they were properly measured for 'the most important pieces in a woman's arsenal.' Melania and Fleur simply laughed.

Fleur's friendship with the owner proved that it was one of her favourite places to shop. One particular silk nightie caught Melania's attention. The gorgeous item was a purple that she would recognised with her eyes closed. Dora's natural eye colour.

"Thinking about a certain beau in it?" Her friend teased.

"More like thinking about wearing it _for_ a certain beau. And if I would actually get the chance."

Fleur frowned at the sadness in her friend's voice and immediately scooped up the item in question. She swore to herself to help Melania as soon as the opportunity arose.

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oOoOo

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Hermione wasn't what she would consider a feminine girl. Her annoyance at the constant twittering of Lavender and Parvati proved that. Yet the shopping trip was opening her eyes to the joys of being 'girly' with the right company. The group had just left a store that focused solely on evening attire and she now had two brand new dresses for a night out in either the Magical or Muggle world. A pang in her heart caused the smile to wilt and Melania caught the dip.

"Knut for your thoughts?"

"Harry," she admitted in a sad whisper. "I choose to ignore this type of shopping growing up but he never got a chance to even make that choice."

"Dad took him out last year. It was even worse than this," Melania laughed at the other girl's incredulous look. "Honest. He dragged Harry up and down Diagon and Muggle London. I think he wanted to put all of their missed chances into one big event."

"That sounds like Sirius," Hermione smiled at the idea of the man-child doing just that. The smile disappeared at her next thought and she pushed on before she chickened out. "I know you know where he is. If I give you a letter, could you make sure he gets it? Please?"

The pleading look in the chocolate eyes broke Melania's heart and she had to swallow past a lump in order to speak. Her old friend's obvious pain at not being with Harry was startling to the former Boy-Who-Lived.

"Sure. I thought you weren't supposed to send any to him?"

" _Dumbledore_ suggested it," Hermione spat the name as though is was a vile poison needing to be cleansed from her mouth. "No, I knew your family had hidden Harry away. There isn't a chance normal owls could find him under your protection. I've been working on the letter since the trial."

Melania nodded and the two walked in silence for a minute.

"Normal owls?"

"I don't think anything could stop Hedwig from finding Harry," Hermione smiled at the thought of the beautiful owl's devotion to her friend. "I tried calling her but she never came. She is okay, isn't she?"

"She's absolutely fine," Melania promised, also thinking of her beloved familiar. "She's able to fly as much as she wants but not to visit anyone Harry knows. There wouldn't be any point in hiding him only for people to follow her back."

Melania instinctively reached through her still embryonic link to Muninn and suddenly found her awareness pulled elsewhere.

 _She was sitting on a shelf, hidden by shadows, watching her prey. It moved frantically as it busied itself with the hunter but she had no interest in the other one. Ah...there...the prey turns around and she swoops off her high perch to quickly bury herself in the man's wild mane of hair. The prey yelps in surprise and the hunter falls to the floor in laughter..._

"Melania? Melania, are you okay?"

"Ma minette, what is wrong?"

She came back to herself to find Hermione and Fleur holding her up by each arm with Ginny looking on helpless. She shook her head roughly to clear her mind of the strange way her familiar thought.

"Muninn just surprised dad from behind. She's buried herself in his hair again and he can't get her out," she weakly chuckled as they manoeuvred her to one of the many cafes to rest. "Uncle Moony can't stop laughing."

"How do you know?" Hermione's curiosity flared before she could control it and she blushed at their smirks.

"Rest, ma friend," Fleur demanded, already heading off to get food and drink for their party.

"I performed a ritual with her," Melania explained to the two anxious Gryffindors while wondering if Cissy knew something like this was possible. "I usually feel her emotions and understand her but this time I was actually looking through her eyes."

"Well yours started to glow," Ginny announced, her own were wide from hearing about an obvious blood ritual. She'd been raised to think of all blood rituals as Dark yet this one seemed brilliant to do. "It was freaky."

"Huh...I'll have to see if hers does the same," Melania said, thoughtfully as Fleur returned. Concern was evident in the French girl's every move. "It sure took me by surprise though."

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oOoOo

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The quartet wound down their day out not long after the incident. They returned to Grimmauld Place after a few minutes of excited talk with Apolline and, as they were cleaning themselves of Floo Powder, Hermione realised she had missed something important.

"Your Allure," she blurted out much to Fleur's obvious amusement and Ginny's confusion. "What did you do about your Allure?"

"Hermione, probably a good third of the female Magicals we saw today had Veela blood." Melania laughed as she handed their packages off to a very excited Winky.

"Oui, she does not lie," Fleur explained when Hermione looked as though she didn't believe the statement. "The Rue des Rêves have special wards for those with Allure magic. Any passive release is stored in a special rune stone."

"What about active?" Ginny asked a split-second before Hermione as they moved towards the kitchen for light dinner. "What happens then?"

"If it's only one person and the Allure isn't too strong, then the effect is weakened enough for people to be able to break the influence."

"But if the person is actively trying to ensnare people or there is more than one, that's different," Melania added, remembering what she had been told by the Delacours earlier in the summer. "The protective wards kick in and they find their Allure completely nullified."

"Oui."

The quartet found a large group already in the kitchen. Although dinner was ready, it was only really Ron and Molly who were focusing on the food. Sirius and Moony were sketching away on a piece of parchment and comparing notes on Morgana knew what. Narcissa would sometimes add her thoughts as she peered over Remus' shoulder. Speaking of shoulders, Muninn was once more perched on Sirius' and kept tugging on Padfoot's hair.

Ron was stuck between the twins who were doing the same as their Marauder idols. The only difference between the two sets of jokers being that the gingers only spoke one word in four to each other. Andromeda had been joined by a very excited Dora and Melania almost stumbled at the sight of the metamorph. Fleur quickly continued her explanation to hide her friend's slip.

"I can still feel my Allure, Hermione. It is why Rue des Rêves is such a good place for those with Veela blood to practice their control. We know when we have it and when we don't without it affecting those around us."

"But what's to stop a man from being blinded by your natural beautify, my darling Fleur?" Sirius cried out, quickly rising to approach and take the girl's hand. Male chuckles and female rolling of eyes followed his outlandish flirting but the old charmer ignored them all to kiss her knuckles. "I fully understand my daughter's disappearance with you whisking her off to the only place capable of matching your radiance."

"I told you were we were going before we left," Melania sighed at her father's smirk. She sent a quick pulse through her body with Muninn and the raven pulled hard on one of his locks. The Animagus yelped as his head was yanked to the side and the room exploded with laughter.

Fleur took the over-the-top compliments with only a rueful shake of the head.

"Don't make me get out the newspaper, Sirius," Narcissa warned and the man immediately sobered up. He knew it was never wise to antagonise his cousins. "Now let the girls sit before you wear them out with your energy. Hermione, your hair looks beautiful."

Everyone added their own remarks and it was a heavily blushing Hermione who sat at the table.

"Has Padfoot been sniffing some of your potions ingredients again, Aunt Cissy?" Melania asked as she took her chair. That it was next to Dora was merely coincidence.

"I have you know this is my natural personality," the man in question declared, striking a pose that reminded people of a certain memoryless DADA Professor.

Moony immediately scrunched up a spare bit of parchment and launched it at his still standing childhood friend. This started the twins off and somehow Sirius became completely buried in the stuff. Muninn squawked in annoyance and moved to Melania's shoulder to keep away from the chaos. She absently lifted a hand to lovingly brush the bird's chest.

Narcissa could only shake her head in exasperation and turned to her bemused niece. "We've heard from Amelia, dear. You'll be announcing yourself on Monday."

"Well _finally,_ " she exclaimed as she dished herself out some tasty Caesar salad. "I thought they were never going to schedule the August session. Do we know what the hold up was?"

"Fudge," Sirius growled, having banished the mountain of parchment and retaken his seat. The humour vanishing at the man's name. "He was trying to delay it until September First so you'd be at Hogwarts. Ami had to remind the schedulers that he's been suspended to get them to cooperate. Apparently the man still has people in the Ministry willing to blindly follow him."

"Follow his gold you mean," Dora snorted and Melania's eyebrow raised at the comment. The pink-haired Auror smirked back. "Ever since old Bones pulled the _Iustita et iure_ the idiot has been spending as much of his bribe money as possible to keep himself in power."

"I thought his backers would do that?" Hermione asked Melania's question, proving that the girl had a political mind beneath her new hair. Ron had been struck dumb by her look while the twins were quickly thinking of starting a betting pool on who her first Hogsmeade date would be with.

"Usually they would," Narcissa admitted after sipping her calming tea. "However three things have destabilised the Dark's position. Can you tell me what they are, niece?"

"Lucius' death," Melania answered immediately and received a nod in return. She cocked her head to the side, a move that distracted Dora enough that her hair momentarily shifted to the same dark colour as Melania's. The other Blacks and a certain Veela all caught the shift. "Myself. No one knows what Lady Black is about nor what my position in this entire mess. They wouldn't want to anger me if I'm about to announce myself as a supporter."

"Well done," Remus said with a smile. Sirius was beaming next to his friend as their lessons proved their worth in his daughter's answers. She smiled back and then frowned as she struggled to find the last reason.

"Nymphadora already mentioned it," Narcissa completed the list, ignoring Dora's growl at the use of her full name with long practice. " _Iustita et iure_ is an old custom and no one really knows how much power it has left Amelia with. Could their bribery in keeping Fudge in place be seen to go against their own declaration? Would that mean a loss of magic or worse? There are too many unknowns."

"I can see how that could be scary."

"And speaking of," Her aunt added in a tone of finality. "You will be meeting with Houses Diggory, Greengrass and Lestrange once the session is concluded. They agreed to the call of _Iustita et iure_ and you will honour that in place of House Potter."

"Lestrange?" Molly spoke up for the first time and Melania realise that the others must have sat her down and given a few truths to keep the overbearing woman from complaining about their trip. She pitied Ginny the first time the girl's mother saw the new clothes. "You can't really expect her to be meeting the likes of _them_. Whatever would Dumbledore say?"

" _Dumbledore_ has nothing to say about what I do, Mrs. Weasley," Melania snapped before either Sirius or Narcissa could respond. Yet it was Andromeda who put the woman in her place.

"Molly Prewett, watch yourself. I know you remember your training," her eyes blazed with anger and there was no escaping what family she belonged to. Dora whispered a quick _Go Mum!_ that had Ginny and Melania smirking. "Augustine Lestrange has always been close to this family and he stood for the call of _Iustita et iure_ when no one else did. He is nothing like his nephews. Melania will be perfectly safe with Narcissa and I present."

"Amos will be there, Molly," Sirius said, attempting to sooth the woman's feelings. "As will Remus and Cyrus Greengrass."

Everyone clearly heard the sniff of disdain at the name of Greengrass. Ron's grumble sounded suspiciously like a complaint about Slytherins and was ignored.

"We can shop for robes tomorrow," Dora announced loudly in a 'I'm changing the damn subject' tone. "And you six can do your Hogwarts shopping. I have the book list even though the letters haven't been sent yet."

"I've been worried about that," Hermione announced, the lip biting proof of her words. "We usually get the list earlier than this."

"Ah, but that's because Hogwarts usually have all their Professors in place," Dora grinned back. The look doing funny things to Melania's stomach. "The Ministry had to step in and provide someone for the DADA position."

"Please tell me it's someone who actually knows what they're doing," Melania begged as she buried her head in her hands at the thought of yet another teacher.

"Well I've kicked your arse often enough so I think I'll be fine."

Melania's head shot up and her jaw moved yet there was no sound at what was being suggested. Dora nodded with a grin and then morphed her face to look like McGonagall. A harsh growl from Lady Black quickly had her changing back.

" _You're_ our new DADA Professor?" Hermione gasped, oblivious to Melania's current state. "Oh, I've got so many questions!"

The laughter brought Melania out of her daze and she wrapped Dora in a tight hug of celebration. Only Andromeda caught the slight pain in the laurel eyes.

The hug, and the acceptance it promised, had Dora beaming. She'd been worried about what Melania would say when she found out about her new position, especially with the tightrope their relationship seemed to be balancing on. She decided to not tell the other girl that her true focus was once again protection detail. Amelia Bones had been very sure in saying that Melania came before teaching and Dora fully agreed with that settlement.

Those thoughts were skirting close to feelings Dora had done her best to ignore. To fight against them she reached down to her waist and withdrew her own practice daggers.

"Fancy a little work out with your teacher after dinner, hot stuff?" She smirked. The wolfish grin she got in return had her wondering if it was such a good idea.

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oOoOo

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It absolutely _wasn't_ a good idea.

Molly had almost immediately taken Ron back to the Burrow while the twins vanished to continue their product research. The rest had all made their way to training complex and the two fighters slipped into the bedrooms to get changed into more practical clothing. Those who hadn't seen the complex before were blown away by the scale of it. Sirius had simply shrugged and blamed it on the Blacks wanting to be the best.

The two girls came out in tight paints and tops. Hermione immediately understood the exercise outfits and explained their purpose to a scandalised Ginny. Dora grinned manically with her hair morphed into a military buzz cut to keep out of her eyes. She was bouncing along, looking ready to have some fun.

Melania's hair was in a tight French braid that had a surprisingly heavy ball at its base. She'd found that the weight offset a lot of her movements and kept her body balanced when ducking and diving. She walked towards the training mat twirling her knives as she focused on everything Andi had taught her.

"Activate your runes," Andromeda demanded from her spot on the mat. The girls did so and four blades were glowing softly to keep anyone from being badly hurt. Immediately Hermione's eyes glazed over at the implications. "Remember what I taught you both. No playing around. Begin."

She quickly stepped backwards until she was with the others while the two combatants circled each other. Melania was using her split holding, right knife in a reverse grip, while Dora held both in the standard grip.

Hermione's lip had been caught while Ginny was already working on a nail. They'd had everything explained to them so they knew that no one could actually be hurt but the sharp edges still made them nervous. Narcissa was curious as each girls' skill level while Remus watched with a critical eye of someone experienced in the nasty side of street fighting. Sirius merely wanted to bet on his daughter but no one was biting.

The circling came to an abrupt end when Dora tried an upwards strike that was blocked by Melania's quick moving left arm. Her right pushed forward and her wrist snapped to run the downward blade at Dora's stomach. The elder witch only managed to avoid losing 'first blood' by jumping away.

Melania kept up the pressure and relentlessly followed the Auror who soon realised she had let herself grow lax in her blade work. Strikes and counter-strikes were blocked or deflected, wrists knocked aside by forearms or even legs if the need warranted the move. Dora was lucky in getting first strike, a slash down Melania's right biceps, but it came at the cost of being dumped on her back when the girl used a body throw. The sting down Dora's thigh as she rolled away from the follow-up attack convinced the Metamorphmagus that she couldn't take chances.

The two continued to trade blows and counter-blows as the crowd watched with growing excitement. To those who understood what they were seeing, it soon grew apparent that Melania was pulling ahead in the scoring. The match ended when Dora over extended a lunge allowing Melania to quickly check Dora's right arm and step into the reach of the left, bringing her own right knife up to Dora's throat.

There was only the sound of their heavy breathing and their faces were close enough that each breath was a warm breeze to the other. Seconds stretched out. Their eyes remained locked and tension built. No one dared to speak at what they were now seeing. Dora's gaze dropped to Melania's lips and she made to lean forward only to pull free of the hold and dash out of the training area without a look back.

Melania stared after Dora, her face red from the workout and embarrassment. The latter emotion was quickly overrode by anger and she screamed in frustration, launching her left knife in a perfect throw to bury into a wall. That the protections were still active so that the weapon bounced off the surface didn't take away from the ferocity of the move. Ginny summed up the thoughts of those present when she turned to Hermione.

"Your DADA lessons are going to be _really_ interesting."

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oOoOo

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 _21th August, 1995_

The day of the Wizengamot session had arrived and Hermione was suspicious of the excitement in Grimmauld Place. She knew that someone taking up their Lordship within the country's Wizarding Government was a big deal but she was sure that something else was being planned. As it was, in all her attempts to find out the Blacks' secret agenda, she was in the perfect spot to watch Lady Melania Black descend the staircase.

Melania was completely encased in dragon hide. The boots added an inch to her height, the pants looked to Hermione as though magic had been needed to get her into them, and the Gryffindor didn't want to think about trying to breath in the corset top. The outfit was completed with green, fingerless elbow gloves that proudly showed off the Black ring. Hermione frowned at the different shades of green in the outfit only for her eyes to widen as she realised what she was seeing.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, her outburst catching the house's attention so that those waiting in the study came out to see what was wrong. "That's from the Welsh Green Harry killed."

"It is," Melania smirked as she came to the last step. Winky appeared with a pop to hand over a fur-trimmed cloak that she then slipped on. The little elf had been beside herself with glee at her Mistress' choice of outfit. "Harry asked the goblins to make me this for my coming out celebration."

"And they will not forget you, dear," Narcissa said with pride, already wearing her own cloak. "An excellent choice for today."

"Thank you, aunt Cissy," Melania smiled, doing her best to ignore Ron's hungry looks. Hermione could only stare as the two headed towards the Floo and the waiting crowd. Sirius had a goofy grin the moment he saw the striking figure his daughter made.

"I wish I could see this in person," he told her with a hug that she returned with equal strength.

"You'll see the memory, dad. Promise."

"Get out of here and make them remember the power of the Family," he told them once he could bring himself to let his little girl go. Melania and Remus shared a rolling of the eyes at his silliness and then they were gone.

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oOoOo

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The Wizengamot meeting was winding down after having ratified the power of the Ministry's Investigator of Hogwarts. Fudge had pushed it through by backdating his command to before he was suspended. Amelia knew this, Fudge knew she knew it, but since it put pressure on Dumbledore she allowed it.

Usually new Lords and Ladies were inducted as first order of business. However the Family didn't want to alert the Wizengamot to a new Head and so had planned on arriving just as the session was finishing. Amelia Bones' anticipation grew as the moment approached and it was why she was one of the only ones who didn't jump when the Chamber's doors burst open and Narcissa Malfoy née Black and Andromeda Tonks née Black walked in with their heads held high. It was only out of courtesy that Lady Bones of the Ancient House of Bones had informed Chief Warlock Dumbledore of their planned late arrival. She'd kept everything else from the secretive meddler though.

The appearance of both Black sisters, dressed in their finest and standing side-by-side, sent shudders through the Wizengamot. A united House Black was a dangerous House Black.

The prospect of a new Lord Potter hadn't worried the nervous crowd. After all, not even the famous Boy-Who-Lived had enough political skills to bring the House into its own if everyone kept calm and manoeuvred around his young, inexperienced, actions. Yet a reborn House of Black was an entirely different beast. By the looks of how the Darkest of Houses reacted in surprise, it was also House not in support of the Dark Lord. In a strange twist this worried the crowd even more. Too many from all across the political and magical spectrum had deals with House Black and many had been stupid enough to renege when Sirius was dumped in Azkaban.

"Ladies..." Fudge squirmed in his seat. The two women standing in front of him were potentially old enough to remember the silent feud between their families. "To what do we owe the...pleasure?"

"House news, good body of the Wizengamot," Narcissa's calm voice rose to be heard by all. They noticed that neither had given the Minister any notice and that single snub ended all influence of Fudge's bribes. "We are here to see the glorious return of House Black taking its proper place among you all."

"That's wonderful news, Lady Malfoy," Lord Tiberius Nott declared, rising to his feet. The man might have been firmly in the Dark Lord's pocket but he had raised his son to think for himself. This was so whichever way the wind blew, House Nott would survive. "It's a joy to have you take up your other chair and..."

"Forgive me for interrupting, Lord Nott," Narcissa said in a tone and smirk that told everyone she didn't give a damn that she cutting the Death Eater off. "But there is someone who has a much stronger claim to the chair than I."

As if choreographed - because it was due to the help of Madam Bones - Narcissa and Andromeda stepped apart and turned sideways, their heads bowed to form an honour guard as three new faces walked in.

Dora was in her Auror robes with mostly her original hair. It was laced with red and bubble-gum pink stripes but the look added character. That was what Melania had said anyway and it was good enough for her.

Much to everyone's frustrations the two had continued their little dance without ever mentioning the end of their duel.

Walking with her was the well-known werewolf Remus John Lupin. The Wizengamot members knew all about him from his time as a Professor but it was his outfit that warned them that something new was stirring amongst them. The Dark Creature wore clothes of the finest cut and draped in the robes of Steward of House Black. The position had not been seen in over a century and never owned by a werewolf.

The two stepped apart to mirror the positions of the Black Sisters and it was the third and final person that almost sent the Wizengamot into cardiac arrest. Melania strode into the Chamber as though she owned it. Her dragon hide outfit was striking all on its own but the raven on her shoulder demanded their attention. Everyone quickly looked to the painting above the door she had walked through and the three people who had for centuries watched over the Wizengamot.

King Arthur sat in his chair, as regal as he ever was, while Merlin stood behind, right hand on the King's left shoulder. Off to the side was a witch in purple robes that were an old fashioned version of the real-life green ones they were now seeing. On the dark-haired witch's shoulder sat a small raven, the symbol of her infamous Animagus form. For the first time since the fall of Camelot one of those inside the painting moved as Morgana Le Fey stared down at her descendent and smiled. That alone caused many to almost faint.

A plinth topped with a crystal ball rose from the Chamber's floor and Melania instantly placed her hand onto the smooth surface. Her commanding voice brought the gossip and audible fears to a painful standstill.

"I, Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black, Lady of House Black, daughter of Sirius Orion Black, do take up my position as its Head as is my right and privilege. So I say, so mote it be."

She flashed with magic to confirm the right of her claim and keep anyone from protesting. Many wished that they could.

"How is this possible?!" Screamed Fudge, who had turned as green as his bowler.

"Ah, well you see, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, smiling at the panicking Minister. "It appears the goblins were informed by Lady Black's father that he was unable to take up the title. So it was passed a year early to his daughter."

Dumbledore turned back to Melania only to frown when he realised she hadn't taken her hand off the crystal. She gave him a smile that caused a shiver to run through his old bones.

"I, Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black, sworn god-daughter of the late Lord James Charlus Potter, do take up my position as Regent for House Potter as is my right and privilege given to me by Lord Harry James Potter. So I say, so mote it be."

Once more she flashed with magic and Dumbledore's fish impression mirrored that of Fudge's. Amelia's eyes sparkled, the only proof of the smirk she kept from showing, and took control before anyone could react.

"Lady Black, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the Wizengamot," she declared, standing to give the new Lady a bow. "However, I must point out that it is illegal for you to take your chairs until you are seventeen."

"You are correct, Lady Bones," Melania bowed back to the older woman as the crystal silently retained its place in the floor. "I will be naming my proxies to immediate affect if it suits this respected body."

There was a gleam of mischief in those laurel green eyes that proved exactly who this young lady's father was.

"As proxy for House Black, I wish to name a woman who has epitomised the very core of what our motto _Toujours pur_ means. She stood firm and remained pure to everything that matters to House Black; Family, blood, and ideals. Lords and Ladies, I present to you... Andromeda Tonks née Black."

The Dark families roared their outrage at a well-known Blood Traitor taking up such a powerful position. Andromeda's robe took on the Wizengamot cut and she stood proud and tall, basking in the smile of pride that her sister gave her. The Light families laughed quietly at the master-stroke while the Greys eyed the entire situation and saw what everyone else had missed. The clueless were quickly filled in when Melania continued.

"As proxy for House Potter, I wish to name a woman who has epitomised the very core of what the great House stood for in their motto of _Toujours debout,"_ the Light families swelled with pride in expectation while the Grey understood war was being declared. "She stood tall against everything thrown her way, stayed true to the way she was raised, and it was with her touch that Lord Potter survived the horrible attack earlier this month. Lords and Ladies, I present to you...Narcissa Malfoy née Black."

Melania's cold gaze bore into both Dumbledore and Fudge as the Light families rose to complain at the wife of a deceased Death Eater, the very one who had tried killing their Boy-Who-Lived, taking the chair for House Potter. Dumbledore let both sides roar their displeasure as he glared daggers at the five standing in the Chamber. The dividing lines had been drawn and everyone, some quicker than others, were coming to understand what that meant. In that moment, through Melania's powerful actions, Wizarding Britain became divided upon three lines. Dumbledore against Voldemort, Voldemort against Dumbledore and Lady Black willing to stand apart and protect all those who stood beside her.

"And for my one and only act as Lady Black in this chamber for the foreseeable future," she announced across the massive uproar. Her voice cut off the noise far quicker than anything could have as they feared what was coming next. It might have been a new Lord or Lady's prerogative to put something up for discussion but no one actually _used_ the privilege. "I use my right as a newly elected Head of House to bring to discussion the most heinous act of my father's false incarceration."

Those compliant in Sirius' incarceration felt cold fingers wrap around their collective hearts. Melania regally took her spot in the Black box alongside Dora and Remus while her aunts took their proxy seats. Everyone knew that Sirius Black would be declared innocent before the session was out and none doubted he would be out for blood.

Amelia worked quickly. She called for the solicitor's pensieve that an Auror just happened to have ready and pulled out the memories her Auror had provided the day before.

The Wizengamot watched entranced as an innocent Sirius found the Potters and the obviously injured Harry. There was grumbles of anger and dirty looks when a godfather was deprived of his godson on the word of Dumbledore. When they saw the incident that lead to Sirius' capture they were all ready to call for an acquittal.

A confused Amelia added the last memory. She didn't understand why she had been told that this memory had to be played. She watched the incident of the Shrieking Shack incident in confusion, it didn't add anything new to Sirius' case, but she quickly saw the light when the memory flashed forward to reveal a desperate Fudge refusing to believe Harry Potter and his friends. The Minister's insistence on kissing the Head Apparent of a Most Noble and Ancient House instantly buried the man's career. It would only be protocol that kept him in his office until the full ninety day suspension was up.

The man in question glared up at the shadowed box in fury as soon as he saw the third year memory begin. Once again a Black had used their power to destroy his family and he silently reaffirmed his vow of vengeance upon everyone baring the Black and Potter names.

Dumbledore stared up at the shadowed box in fear and impotent rage. The girl was changing the landscape of the Wizengamot without discussing it with him, the exact way Arcturus Black and Charlus Potter had before her. Tom would not take this lying down and Dumbledore knew he desperately needed to bring Harry back into the fold to test the boy's mind and how badly the link between the two was growing. He needed to know if the horcrux had activated.

Neither saw the deadly glare Melania Black gave back, nor did they hear her dangerous growl as she fingered one of her daggers. The House of Black would not be denied its retribution.

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	29. Welcome to Hogwarts

**AN: And now we end the summer and Melania has her first evening in Hogwarts. It seemed you all enjoyed our Melania's surprise last chapter and the way she's changed up the entire political situation in one move. Now you get to see the early consequences of that. Hopefully my editing of this chapter is up to par as I've had a weekend long migraine.**

 **DschingisKhan - For you and anyone else confused, I've included the important dates of the summer so far (not including the obvious of Harry's birthday). I'll start adding some information to link days with previous events and see if that makes it easier to read.**

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Welcome to Hogwarts

 _Important Dates:_

24th July – Harry's first day at Grimmauld after the attack by the Dementors

25th July – Narcissa moves in with Andromeda.

30th July – Harry meets with Neville. Gives Neville password to recognise Melania.

2nd August – Trial and assassination attempt by Malfoy.

4th August – Dursleys are imprisoned through Squibs within the Muggle Police. Dumbledore goes to Gaunt Shack and destroyed horcrux without falling to the curse.

7th August – Narcissa meets with Lord Lestrange. Sirius tells Order about Melania.

12th August – Ritual turns Hedwig into Muninn

15th August – Melania meets Dumbledore for the first time. Takes control of Grimmauld.

21st August – Induction of Melania as Lady Black and Regent Potter in the Wizengamot.

 _21st August, 1995 – Ministry of Magic_

The end of the Wizengamot session saw Melania make her way down from the Black's private box. She was flanked by Remus and Dora who kept the more stormy-faced Lords and Ladies from saying too much over what they had witnessed. Her knuckles were kissed and hand shaken by everyone who wished to make sure not to anger the obvious leader of the reformed Potter-Black Alliance. Aside from a few barbed comments or dirty looks, even the ones completely loyal to Dumbledore and Riddle kept a respectable tongue. She was too much a wild card to do otherwise.

The reprieve was over when the Chief Warlock himself got to them a shade quicker than Amelia Bones.

"Ah, little Melania, I admit that showing was quite a surprise," he Benevolent Old Man act was in full force and, with one sentence, he looked to pass her actions off as an immature child playing politics to the many ears listening.

"That's Lady Black to you, Chief Warlock," Dora reminded him in her full Auror mode. The soft growl from Remus told Melania that both were fully away of what he had attempted to do.

"Save your breath, Nymphadora Tonks-Black of House Black." Melania's cool tone undercut the gleam in Dumbledore's eyes and made those listening secretly cringe. She had announced Andromeda's reinstatement into the Black family as well as reminding people that there was a Black working for the Aurors. Now the questions would be on how easy would House Black have it in hiding their activities rather than a schoolgirl being in charge of the infamous House. "Our Chief Warlock likes to believe he is above such social niceties as respecting his betters. Is that not right, Albus Dumbledore of the Minor House of Dumbledore?"

His left eye, curiously the same one that he liked to twinkle, twitched at the reminder of his political situation were he not the Order of Merlin winner and Defeater of Grindelwald.

"Enjoy your day, Lady Black. Perhaps we can talk again soon."

He walked away without letting her respond and those listening knew that she had won that round. What they didn't know was that she was sure any conversations would wait until her arrival at Hogwarts. The Headmaster had not been seen at Grimmauld Place since the large meal and the Tonks' wards had alerted her aunt to some suspicious activity. Melania was sure the old coot was after Harry.

"Well done, niece," Narcissa's firm voice was touched with warmth and Melania turned to see both aunts sandwiching the fierce woman that was Dora's boss.

"Lady Black, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," the two important women in Sirius' life locked gazes, measured each other and reached out a hand at the same time. They knew they'd get on fine. "Your aunts have informed me what you've got planned for today and I'd like to offer my office as a meeting room."

"A delight, Madam Bones," Melania smiled back, using the DMLE Head title that the older red-head was proud of rather the family's title she hated. "Before we head off, perhaps you could send someone to find my scoundrel of a father? I'm sure he'd like to know he has his freedom back."

The smirk that threatened to break out on Melania's face caused the powerful Madam Bones to almost raise an eyebrow at what the child of her lover was up to. She would find out as soon as the girl gave the order to her shadow Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Auror Shacklebolt. My father might be a little energetic in his celebrations," she told the dark-skinned man with a straight face. Dora had no compunction and was beaming at an obvious prank in the making. Moony was fighting a smirk and Cissy's eyes sparkled at what was happening. "I'm sure we'd all forgive you if you had to silence and tie him up in order to get him to Madam Bones' office for his official pardon."

"Ma'am?" The experienced Auror asked and it was a toss up whether the question was aimed at his boss or the strange teenage girl. As it was both merely gave innocent smiles to the suddenly very nervous man.

The image Melania had given him lasted right up until he entered Grimmauld Place and, much to Sirius' outrage, he wouldn't be able to resist making it a reality.

The young Lady Black saw three man coming closer and gave all three the same pleasant smile.

"Gentleman, I wish to thank you for meeting with me. The wonderful Madam Bones has agreed to loan us her office," she explained easily, falling onto her training through instinct rather than thought. "May I suggest I see each of you in the order you stood for _Iustita et iure_? This way there's no sense of favouritism over why you're in the order you are?"

"She's good, Cyrus," Augustine Lestrange smirked, eyeing Melania with obvious glee. "The Light gets their chance to shine, you balance out the time and I have to wait just like everyone would expect."

"And she's made it so that it's our fault," Cyrus Greengrass finished with his own amused look. Their comments clearly saying that they found the order satisfactory.

Amos Diggory on the other hand seemed very uncomfortable to be standing with the two men. He was a staunch Dumbledore man who only stood for the _Iustita et iure_ because it was the right thing to do. That he would have to deal with a Greengrass or even a _Lestrange_ put his delicate sensibilities on edge.

"Then let us be off," Amelia advised in all her diplomatic bluntness as she saw the delicate situation for what it was.

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"Lord Diggory of the Noble House of Diggory, thank you for your efforts in finding justice for Harry Potter," Melania said to the somewhat calmer Amos once they were in Amelia's office.

The woman in question was outside talking to Narcissa about Sirius while Andromeda and Remus sat in on the meeting as a show of support for the inexperienced Melania. Dora stood at attention inside the door, a bodyguard as well as a member of the family.

"You're welcome, Lady Black," the rather plain looking man answered. Harry had never met Mrs. Diggory but Melania could only think that the boy's good looks and charm came from her rather than the man opposite. "I couldn't sit back and do nothing after what we had witnessed."

The question over Narcissa's loyalties were obvious in tilt to his last few words.

"My father says that's the same thing you said after the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I've spoken to Harry and he is as thankful now as he was then."

The mentioning of Harry brought the man out of his unease and a sharpness to the brown eyes appeared.

"How is Lord Potter? I have to admit, I was surprised when Ted announced he had taken up his ring."

"He's recovery is going well and he is upset about not returning to Hogwarts." Which would technically be true if she allowed herself to think of herself as Harry. "Actually, your son is one of those he will miss the most. He consider Cedric a very good friend after last year."

Turning the subject to Cedric brought the man fully to life and it took twenty minutes before they finally rose to shake hands. Amos Diggory had spent the majority crowing over Cedric and how much his boy would miss the battles with Harry during their Quidditch games.

"A good father, a decent Ministry worker," Remus offered from his corner once Lord Diggory had departed. "But a man who wants nothing to do with the war. His bluster after the Third Task has died out and now he's Dumbledore's Man again."

"No surprise," Andromeda added. That Amos had acted like he was close friends with her husband while ignoring her had not impressed any of them. "I would have preferred Augusta Longbottom to have stood when Amelia called for the _Iustita et iure._ "

"Why didn't she?" Melania asked. She'd been wondering that very question since she'd heard about the events after Malfoy's attack.

"For all Augusta is a Longbottom by marriage and a Stewart by birth, she should have been a Black," Andi answered, her voice taking on a mournful tone. "She was a formidable woman in her day but the loss of Frank and Alice destroyed her. She's willing to watch the world fall to pieces as she looks after the Longbottoms."

"All the while letting Neville's talents go to waste," she snapped, rage flashing at how much of Neville's life had been hurt by his grandmother's actions.

Andromeda's shrug conveyed exactly what the other Houses thought of Augusta Longbottom's treatment of the Longbottom Scion. _What can you do?_ As far as Melania was concerned, plenty.

"Lord Cyrus Greengrass," Dora announced from the door, forcing Melania to push those thoughts away as she turned to Daphne's father.

The man's very attitude was one of equality. The meaningless smile in his dark blue eyes never wavered even when they brushed over Remus and Melania approved. She didn't care if people weren't comfortable around her uncle as long as they didn't show it. Greengrass' kiss on her knuckles matched, to the second, what was socially acceptable, and he sat down with a relaxed air that the former occupant of the chair had lacked.

"Before we go through the correct words, Lord Greengrass, let me just say this," she said as she sat, crossing a leg over the other and letting her hard edges show in her laurel glare. "Harry has heard much from your oldest daughter which means so have I. It's an honour to meet the man who helped create the mask of Ice Princess of Slytherin."

Whatever Cyrus was expecting her to say this was not it, and so his own Slytherin mask slipped at the surprise. This was quickly covered up by a barking laugh that Sirius would have been proud of and a smile that was as genuine as someone like Lord Greengrass could give.

"Lady Black, you're a delight and a devil to the Wizengamot," the man grinned past his mask. "If it wasn't for the dark times our society was involved in, I would say your presence would be exactly what we needed."

"Yet the dark times are here. Are you saying that my niece's presence isn't a good thing, Lord Greengrass?"

"I believe your niece has the potential to save or doom us all, madame Black," Cyrus told Andromeda, using her proper name for the situation. "The Potter-Black Alliance has been quiet for too long and the Greys have been left floundering without their guides. So far I see one side of the Alliance who is ready to go to war against both Light and Dark yet hear nothing from the other."

"Not true, my Lord," Melania immediately corrected with a shake of the head. "Daphne warned Harry that she would be passing on her observations so you know how little he's been taught of all this. Let's be blunt, Lord Greengrass. The Potter-Black Alliance is here to stay and will work towards being what it once was. What is it that the Greys need from myself and Lord Potter?"

"She might have told me some things," Cyrus admitted without shame only to then slip into silence as he took his measure of Melania. They let him, knowing that this meeting could help shape the world for decades to come. Seconds turned into minutes and then Cyrus brought his fingers up in front of his mouth to form a peak. "Before I say anything, I need to know what is happening with Lord Potter."

Three adults held their breaths while Melania matched Lord Greengrass' hard look with her own. She too took her time before answering. Her words would change the war.

"Lord Potter isn't simply recovering from the attack. He knows this war and the _thing_ behind it won't leave him alone. So he won't leave it alone," she spoke carefully, holding the older man's eyes without giving anything away. "However, he desires nothing to do with our world beyond defeating the Dark and living in peace. The Boy-Who-Lived will continue to be a myth, Lord Potter will work from the shadows, and if you see either of them again it will be by his choice only."

"He was raised by Muggles and our world hasn't treated him as it should have," Cyrus summed up the situation. He nodded to a personal thought and continued. "I will be calling a meeting of the Greys within the week. You've shown promise to bring them back into what they used to be and I think I can convince enough of them to support you through this."

"For a price," Melania added, hiding her excitement and shock at what she was hearing. Dora's squeak at Lord Greengrass' words brought a small smirk to the man's lips. Or perhaps it was her suspicious tone.

"For a price," he easily admitted, giving a smirk that hinted at the smooth talker he had likely been in his youth. "Protection."

"Against Voldemort, Dumbledore or both?" She shrewdly asked, forcing herself not to call the monster by his Muggle name. "'Protection' is too open-ended a promise, Lord Greengrass."

The laughter returned and the years fell off Cyrus. Melania absently wondered if her father had been friends with the man at some point. Their laughs were far too similar.

"You've been trained well, Lady Black," he chuckled and then the humour bled away as though it had never been. "Each House will have to talk to you about their own conditions but I want only one thing. The safety of my daughters from both bastards."

"You'll have it," she promised without pause. "Inside Hogwarts and out. It doesn't even have to be used in your negotiations with the other Greys."

"Because you'd have offered it for standing in for Lord Potter," he concluded with another nod. The man, so much like his daughter, sighed and then stood. "I would have liked for us to meet under better circumstances, Lady Black, but it's been a pleasure. Personally, I hope that you and my Daphne can become friends."

She held out her hand and gave him an open smile as he kissed her knuckles goodbye. "As do I, Lord Greengrass. Let her know that Lord Potter sends her his best."

"Until next time," Cyrus Greengrass nodded to the other three and left them to think over everything he had said.

"Bloody Morgana's tits," Dora exclaimed in her usual manner, not even wincing at Andromeda's dirty glare about her language. "Having the Greys on our side after your first day in the Wizengamot. I can't believe it."

"It hasn't happened yet," Remus warned the excited young woman, frowning as he thought over the meeting. "The Greys are notorious for getting the better end of the deal. We need to wait to see what actually happens and if they get in touch with you."

"Agreed," Melania nodded, smiling over Dora's enthusiasm even though she had her doubts that Lord Greengrass could pull off what he had offered.

The room were caught up in their thoughts and so silence reigned until Narcissa brought an animated Lord Augustine Lestrange into the office. The eyes of the last of the Four Kings of the Wizengamot were ablaze with purpose. Melania broke all protocol by giving the man a hug.

"You were supposed to have trained this one, Lady Narcissa," Augustine teasingly complained as he hugged back. The woman merely lifted an eyebrow as though asking how one could train a child of Sirius. The message got through easy enough and Augustine chuckled. "You'll ruin your reputation if this got out, my Lady."

"I'm a Black, Lord Lestrange," she answered with a smile, sitting only once Augustine had taken his chair. "We're all a bit crazy."

"Hey!" Was Dora's ignored cry.

"Call me Augustine, Lady Black," he told her, the grandfatherly eyes sharp and full of pride as he looked at her ring. "Old Arcturus would have been proud. You played them all like a fiddle today."

"Let's hope it hasn't set the whole thing burning down," she said, more to herself than the room. "And it's Melania."

"It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of backstabbing bastards," Augustine's opinion had the younger ones blinking. The infamous Lord took a hard look at Melania and seemed to come to a decision. "Did your aunt pass on my request?"

"She did. I'll admit, I wasn't aware there was a Lestrange in Hogwarts," Harry might have been oblivious to most things but she was sure _that_ would have been noticed. Especially as friends of Neville.

"What about Reginald Urquart?"

"Darius Urquart's cousin is a Lestrange?" Melania only knew of the Urquart 'cousins' because of their lack of interactions with anyone outside of Slytherin. Most of the older Snakes would at least spend time with the Ravenclaws as they saw past the House rivalries.

"Little Darius isn't the sharpest knife on the belt but he's loyal. My grandson befriended him before they went to Hogwarts and it was agreed that the Urquarts would take him as theirs for the school years."

"What is it you want from me, Augustine?" She asked, wondering how much it would cost her.

"Not all the Dark Slytherins are willing to side with Tom Bombadil," snorts of amusement filled the room at the nickname for the dangerous Voldemort. "My grandson, Hestia and Flora Carrow, and Theodore Nott are the immediate names I can offer you. They'll all side with the Blacks against their own blood if it means they'll have a chance to live their lives the way they wish to."

"That would be a powerful clique," Melania mused, wondering how people would react if she had those names as part of her circle.

"Especially if you throw in the Bones and Lovegood girls."

"Excuse me?"

Augustine laughed at her shock. It was the deep chuckle of a man who had seen almost everything.

"Your father's fancy with Amelia Bones is well known. Having a Hogwarts connection to her niece and heir would be good family business," he smirked then and Melania wondered what the old man knew or suspected. "And I know Lord Potter put the Lovegood seer under House protection. The Blacks are honour-bound to back that up when he isn't around."

Melania's mouth opened and closed and it was Narcissa's question that loosened her tongue. "You didn't know, niece?"

"No, I knew," she promised, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "But Lord Lestrange is the first one to actually bring it up."

Another low laugh followed the confession. "You'll do good, girl. Stand for your family's values and you'll see us all through this madness."

The mood shifted as he turned to Narcissa who seemed to age a decade by his heavy gaze.

"He's been taken in and consumed. He's been touched by their darkness too much to come back to you even if he wanted to. My nephews have been celebrating his ability too loudly for anything else."

She bowed her head and Augustine looked on with approval when Remus moved closer to offer her support merely by his presence. _There was a union he could get behind._ He thought as he stood, ready to leave.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet," Melania tried arguing even though they all knew she would offer her protection to those named. She tried not thinking on the news about Draco.

"You will," he said, reaching for the door. He turned back to her and there was a mischievous gleam in the sharp eyes. "And be careful of Zabini. The family might be Grey but they're all notorious seducers."

"You think I'd fall for Blaise's charms?" She asked incredulously, not even trying to hide her knowledge of the smooth talker. Her question got Augustine laughing again.

"Not the boy. I'm talking about Concepta, his older sister," This time Melania's mask fully broke as a blush crept up her neck when he nodded towards the wide-eyed Dora. "I understood the looks you were giving this one all too well to know which way your attentions flow. And Arcturus would approve."

As was Augustine Lestrange's legacy, he left chaos in his wake and a chuckle on his lips at the end of a meeting. For one day only one of the Kings had reigned again and he felt better than he had in years.

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"Thank you for your office, Madam Bones," Remus' words were quickly duplicated by Melania when she realised how long her meetings with the three Lords had taken. The powerful woman waved the thanks away with a smirk.

"It gave me some time to spend with my Aurors," she told them with a smirk. The Aurors in question looked suspiciously guilty as they stood in the DMLE bullpen. "It's been a while since I got a chance to do that."

"Boss, I've got him!" Kingsley's baritone voice called out from the door. He can in levitating a thoroughly confused and worried Sirius behind him. Padfoot had been bound and silenced with just enough freedom to struggle against the ropes and it had only been the Auror's laughter and suspicious comments when he ambushed Sirius that kept the former fugitive from really trying to escape. "It's the man of the hour. Do you want me to put him in your office?"

"Hang him on her wall!" A female Auror called from across the room. "The playwizard Sirius Black as a trophy."

The room exploded with raucous laughter but Sirius only had eyes for Amelia. Her smile lifted his fears and the emotions behind her eyes had him almost weeping in his ropes. When she laughed it was as though he was seeing the girl from his dreams. The woman who he would have claimed as his own if not for a terrible night.

He barely noticed when Kingsley dumped him at her feet. Seeing his daughter, the child he thought he would never have, standing beside his long held love as though they were best friends filled him with such love that his Patronus could have emptied Azkaban. He didn't hear the room quiet. He was too busy dragging himself to his knee to pull out a black jewellery box.

The silence was heavy as everyone realised what was happening and all eyes turned to the fierce Madam Bones who could only stare down at a man she had been given a second chance with.

"You were always the one for me, Aim," he swore to her. The Marauder had vanished and Moony knew Prongs and Lily would be smiling down on them in that moment. "I bought this ring during that summer and was going to give you a Christmas proposal. It was the first thing I found when I escaped Azkaban and I've carried it with me every day since. You were one of the only things that kept me alive and sane and now I'm asking you to be the one to make me eternally happy."

The Aurors roared their approval. They didn't need their boss to speak to know what her answer was even though it seemed Sirius did. Melania was crying tears of joy at the idea of her dad finally being able to properly heal and become the man he could have been. She was standing close enough to Amelia to hear the woman's reply.

"Sirius, you make me regret this and I'll arrest you myself," the Head of the DMLE laughed when she saw his confusion. "That's a yes, you idiot!"

His cry of delight was loud enough to drown out the Aurors and, much to Amelia's alarm, he swept her off her feet and into a dizzying spin. The Black Family crowded around the happy couple, as did some of the braver Aurors, but it was Amelia who got the last laugh on Melania.

"You and Susan will be our bridesmaids," she said in her no nonsense voice that had everyone knowing it would happen. "So I expect to hear reports of the two of you getting along famously in Hogwarts."

"Bloody 'Puffs," she replied with a mock growl that had Dora laughing. "You're worse than Slytherins."

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As exciting as her first foray into the Wizarding politics were, the rest of the summer returned to a more moderate pace. During the day Sirius would be in and out of Grimmauld, though both Melania and Amelia agreed for him to have a shadow in case of trouble, and that left Melania to build a connection to Hermione. Her nights continued beneath the time bubble and had shifted to group efforts in order to keep everyone fresh.

"Focus," Andromeda snapped during one of their practices and Melania felt the stinging pain of her aunt's dagger against her arm.

Sirius had taken Remus' sneak attack lesson and turned it into teaching his daughter how to not become distracted by the two Marauders pranking each other in full view of her. She wasn't always successful in ignoring the two idiots.

"Yes, auntie," She panted before attempting to slip beneath Andi's guard and score a hit against the ribs. The move only just failed as Andromeda's more experienced instincts kicked in.

"How is your Animagus training going?" The elder Black asked with an upward swipe that could have taken out her niece's eye.

The young woman bent back out of the way of the attack and threw her weight into a hook kick that sent them both to the mat. She was quick to her feet while Andi rolled to a safer distance.

"I think I'm able to cheat a bit since I already know how to to change," she admitted, using their code for switching between herself and Harry as Remus turned her father's hair into florescent yellow, two foot high peacock feathers. "It's making it easier to do the limbs."

"Good," Andi said in pride as she lunged forward to skewer her niece's heart.

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She sat cross-legged and wondered if there was a good reason not to curse her father. His 'quick pointers' were turning into a five minute Hermione lecture.

"Now remember," the Marauder began only for everyone's moans to silence him.

"Enough, Pads," Remus demanded with rolled eyes. "She knows what she's doing and we're all here if something goes wrong."

"You know I'm right, Moony," Sirius pleaded with his friend. "I just want to make sure she knows what to do. You know how bad it was for James and I."

He had turned away from Melania, who looked over to Narcissa. Cissy gave a nod to get her going and she closed her eyes to bring forth her wolf.

The full-body change was a strange experience. She felt the wolf growing inside her, a sense of fullness that pushed out at her body and demanded it to fall in on itself. She quickly moved onto all fours as she lost control of her body's shape.

Sirius was still going, totally focused on his non-existent argument with Remus about the dangers of a bad Animagus transformation and what Melania needed to be aware of before she could attempt the change. The wolf's tongue flopped out in a silent, canine laugh at his lack of attention to her. The humour was shared among those who watched the overprotective father.

The sharing of her mind with the wolf was a strange experience but also a familiar one. There had always been enough of a difference between Harry and herself to threaten them being two distinct personalities, while her familiar bond with Muninn meant she was now never alone with her thoughts. This all meant that there were too many influences for the wolf's primal nature to truly take hold.

The she-wolf silently stalked the animated Sirius and charged the back of his knee. The Marauder crumbled to the floor where she was able to smother his face in slobbery licks. The laughter only grew louder at Sirius' failed attempts to fight off the sleek animal.

"Now all we have to do is name her," Remus said to the smart woman beside him, grinning as his friend gave in and turned into Padfoot. The grim and she-wolf chased each other around the room, tackling the other when the opportunity arose only to then be tackled in turn.

"Easy enough," Narcissa answered, her eyes sparkling with life and laughter. "Loki."

"Loki?" He looked at the her curiously and she shrugged as though the answer was obvious.

"A raven named Muninn hints at Norse," she patiently explained. "Loki's child is a wolf, he could change gender at will and his enemies wished to chain him beneath their poisonous touch when they lost their control over him."

"And he's the Trickster god," Andromeda added with a snort of laughter at the sight of 'Loki' biting Padfoot's tail when the grim got too energetic.

"When do you think we should tell them?" Remus asked with a smirk that the sisters shared.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _31st August_

Melania was walking through the ground floor of Grimmauld with an Arithmancy book in hand when she came across a dejected Hermione leaning against a wall. There was a crumpled letter in the brunette's hand while the other held a much vaunted badge.

"Are congratulations in order?" She asked the girl, scanning her face to find out what had upset the Gryffindor. "I've heard it's something you've always wanted."

"I used to," Hermione answered with a weak voice and sad eyes. "The first thing I wanted to do when I saw the badge was tell Harry and find out if he got the other one."

"I can almost guarantee that he wouldn't have."

Hermione looked at Melania as though the young Lady Black had lost her mind and Melania sighed as she tried finding the words.

"Think about it," she gently pressed. "After everything you three went through in your first year, no one outside of those you've personally told understand why those mass of points meant Gryffindor won the House Cup."

"But we..."

"No teacher stopped the rumours about Harry being the Heir of Slytherin nor did an explanation come out as to what happened."

"Well no but..."

"It took Harry to give an oath to prove he didn't put his name in the cup last year. Do you really think that the teachers who did all that to Harry _and_ you would then give him a prefect's badge?"

Hermione was speechless. She had failed to consider what Melania had said, instead focusing on the boy she knew Harry really was. She suddenly understood what was being suggested; that very few knew the real Harry and that went even more so for the teachers. The smart girl visibly deflated at the realisation and could only wonder.

"Who would they give the other badge to then?"

A loud shriek filled the air as Molly found out who held the second badge and both girls winced at the chaos Ron Weasley would cause.

"Well you can't turn it down now," Melania said more than a little forcefully. "If Draco gets the Slytherin badge then the two of them will be at each others throats."

"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione whimpered at the thought, eyes wide with fear. A Ron with power and no Harry to reel him in would be a nightmare. Matched with an out of control Draco was a nightmare for Hermione.

"And Hermione," Melania added as she looked to walk away. "Harry would be happy for you. Be happy for yourself."

"Mistress," Kreacher popped into the hallway with a think envelope. "The goblins of Kreacher's Half-blood sent this."

"Brilliant," Melania beamed, taking the package and ripping into it to double-check the contents. "Can you get the red-headed demons for me, Kreacher?"

The elf vanished and reappeared with two confused twins. Hermione giggled at their shocked faces as the elf had apparently simply kidnapped them from wherever they were rather than telling them that they were wanted.

"Gentlemen, and I use the term loosely," Melania began, giving a smirk at their looks of indignation. She handed the contract over with a flourish much to their confusion. "The contract and plans to help you build your business. Fifty percent owned by Fred and George Weasley, ten percent owned by the initial donation of one Cedric Diggory and a forty percent silent partner being one Harry James Potter whose figures at to be adjusted at the appropriate times."

Three jaws dropped as she spoke and George quickly snatched the heavy paperwork out of her grasp to go over it. Fred looked over his brother's shoulder and their shock only grew as they saw a comprehensive breakdown of their initial costs, where the best location for a store would be and even a breakdown of the their competitors sales in order for them to know what sold and what bombed.

Hermione felt only pride at her missing friend and his desire to help anyone who needed it. The feeling grew and almost brought her to tears at what she learned next.

"These figures can't be right," Fred argued, snatching the contract from his brother to point at the offending clause. What Hermione read had her smiling from ear to ear.

Ten percent of Harry's shares would go to Cedric upon the boy's graduation from Hogwarts while another ten would be given back to the twins once Harry's initial investment was repaid. When the investment was then doubled all but five percent would be split, as evenly as possible, between the other Weasleys. Harry had effectively provided for the Weasleys as a family and Cedric while asking almost nothing for himself.

"They're exactly as he demanded to the goblins," Melania told them without even looking at where Fred pointed. She gave a smile and walked away, whistling a tone at the good deeds she had done.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

 _1st September, 1995_

Melania Black, Lady Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, was enjoying an experience at sixteen years of age that the majority of Wizarding children went through at eleven. Leaving home for her first day of Hogwarts.

The Family were together at Grimmauld Place's main Floo and didn't know whether smile at the teenager's obvious joy at having a family to see her off or laugh at Sirius being a flustered father. Given that the Marauder kept swinging between overwhelming pride at her about to be on her way to despair at her being about to be on her way, it was a close call.

Uncle Ted, Dora and Remus were happily and openly grinning at Sirius while the two Black Sisters were remembering their own experiences as both students and parents and doing their best to be supportive of their Lady. The, albeit only technically, Dowager Malfoy was doing her best to keep the pain of the loss of her son from spoiling the big day but they all saw it. It was the shadows in her eyes that had Remus playing up his double-act with his childhood friend in order to lift her mood.

"Don't forget to laugh," Sirius demanded as they stood in front of the fire. The Weasleys had only just began to get ready and Hermione had decided to leave with Ron in the hopes of keeping the redhead controlled. "But don't do too many pranks, not with those Weasley boys ready to start a war. I don't want you getting in too much trouble..."

"Like we did," Remus smirked, pretending not to see Cissy's glare.

"And make sure you study hard."

"Not like _he_ did," Remus added, with a nod towards Sirius, and this time Cissy rolled her eyes though with a small smile teasing her lips.

"But not too hard, you need to have fun."

"Like what James and I did," Remus remembered and this time the misunderstood woman actually did smile.

"And I don't want to hear about any boys!"

"So definitely _not_ what he did."

"Moony, you're not helping me here," Sirius cried as he gave his long term friend an adorable look of anguish that caused Dora to join her father in laughter.

Narcissa and Andromeda pulled rolled up newspapers from their robes and smacked the men over their heads. The stereo order to 'Behave' was the final straw and Melania broke out into uncontrollable giggles.

"Siri, you idiot," Cissy fondly told him. "We're going with her to the station. You can embarrass yourself there."

The Marauders pouted as they rubbed their heads. Sirius had been nodding along to his cousin until the last part.

"Hey! I do not do embarrassment," he declared and Remus sighed at the truth of the statement.

"It's true. We tried so many times but he simply wouldn't do it."

The papers were raised once again and the two men held up their hands in defeat as the younger members of the group rolled their eyes. A pop interrupted the insanity and Melania sent Kreacher a thankful smile before the elf even spoke.

"Great Black family should leave, Mistress," he informed them with a look of distaste. "Noisy redhead squirrels are awake and running through great Black home. Mistress needs not bes dealing with redhead squirrels today."

"Thank you, Kreacher," She told the elf and each of the group agreed with his assessment. The Weasleys legacy of arriving late was well known and it wouldn't do her image to follow suit. "Please make sure they get to Kings Cross on time and remember to keep an eye on Mundungus when he comes around. I will not have him steal any of the silver."

"Kreacher knows just what to do with nasty thief," The elf declared before popping away. They could all hear the dulcet tones of Molly Weasley attempting to browbeat her brood into shape and they had no wish to hear any more than necessary.

Melania had a brief spark of sympathy for Hermione being stuck with the Weasleys and then she was spinning through the Floo to step onto Platform 9¾. The others were quickly beside her and the four women and three men took a moment to take in the reactions of those already there.

It had been many decades since a full contingent of House Black took part in the leaving scene and the older members of the crowd looked on with mixed emotions. Those of long-standing with the family remembered glory days of old before their world was broken apart by war. Others felt fear at the powerful force waking up once more. That the Lady Black was comfortably spending time with both a Muggle-born and a werewolf seemed to add to her legend rather than detract from it.

Sirius was quickly becoming a blubbering mess. While being a free man still had its lustre, it was the act of being on the platform with his daughter that he had long ago given up on. His heart had broken the previous year when he had been unable to see Harry on or off the Express. That he was now standing there with Melania was proving too much for his fragile control.

The sisters looked at their cousin with concern while Moony pulled a Calming Drought he had requested from Andi from his robe's pocket. He forcefully pushed it into his best friend's hand and the glare promised pain to the other man if it wasn't drunk. Sirius looked back and, beneath the glare and panic, the two saw ghosts of lost time and remembered friends in the other's eyes.

Melania looked away from her dad to give him an illusion of privacy. Her wandering gaze caught sight of two people she knew she needed to speak to before reaching Hogwarts.

"Excuse me for a minute," she told her family. Narcissa had caught the same sight and nodded her agreement to what her niece was about to do. With a steadying breath and nuzzle on the cheek from a shoulder-perched Muninn, Lady Black moved away from the safety of her family.

"Excuse me, Dowager Longbottom," the intimidating woman had watched Melania approach with a cold, aloof stare while Neville's eyes had narrowed. Melania noticed the tip of his wand peaking out from his fist and mentally sighed at the suspicions. She knew it wasn't just her name but also her appearance that put both on edge. "As Regent for House Potter while Lord Potter is in convalescence, I wish to thank you for your support of my cousin over the summer."

It was only the long experience of dealing with the Dursleys that kept Melania from squirming beneath the woman's penetrating dark eyes. Muninn kept quiet while giving her own glare to the vulture hat the older woman wore as though it was an affront to the raven's very being.

"You shook the Wizengamot up, Lady Black," Augusta Longbottom finally said. "You've spat in the eye of _Dumbledore_ and the evils forces of our society."

Melania gave a small head bow at the compliment and caught the sheer venom the elder witch spoke the Headmaster's name. A cloud of fury crossed over Neville's face and she knew the two still burned with righteous anger over the news of a prophecy.

"I wish to know something, Lady Black," the stern voice brought her out of her musings.

"If it's in my power to answer, I shall," she promised.

"I understand Crouch Junior was in agony by the end of his miserable life. There are even rumours he was praying for a Dementor such was the pain of the young Lord's spell."

"I've heard similar stories," Melania replied, non-committally. It was the horrific stories describing just what the Venenumoti addition to a spell could do that had Harry use it against the insane Death Eater.

"Did the spell Lord Potter use come from the Potter or Black libraries?"

She blinked at the question. It wasn't even close to what she had been expecting from the Dowager and cost nothing to tell the truth.

"The Black. My father was determined to make sure both Harry and I were protected from our enemies."

"Then House Longbottom owes House Black a debt of gratitude for disposing of such a despicable creature," the woman said with a vengeful gleam. Melania could see the force of nature Neville's Gran had once been before his parents had been tortured. "We would be willing to extend ourselves as allies as long as our fury against Bellatrix Lestrange does not cause difficulties between our Houses."

"Dowager Longbottom, my wayward aunt has been long lost to the House of Black," Melania stated, barely holding back a snarl at the thought of the woman in question. Her aunts had shared many stories of their sister that clashed painfully with the woman Sirius had heard ranting and screaming in Azkaban. It was agreed by all that the once beautiful girl was gone and only a dangerous monster remained. "May any wand crossing her path be firm and the spell true in bringing Bellatrix Lestrange down."

For the first time in the entire conversation the tightness around Augusta's eyes eased and Neville's wand vanished back into its hidden holster.

"And Neville," Melania spoke to the Longbottom Scion before making to leave. " _Family is forever, even beyond blood._ "

She couldn't help smirking on the walk back to her waiting family. Neville's surprised gasp lightened her mood after the serious House business. She truly was her father's daughter.

"I take it everything went okay?" Sirius asked as he hugged her tightly, looking over her head towards the two she had left. "Frank always did say his mother was difficult to deal with."

"It went fine," Melania promised, enjoying his strong arms. "I should find a compartment and get comfortable. Don't want to be standing out here when the Weasleys show up."

There were chuckles all around and Melania was passed from one member of her Family to the next. Remus' came with a knowing smirk while Andromeda and Ted were acting like it was Nymphadora's first time all over again. The Metamorphmagus in question merely rolled her eyes at her parents and promised to see Melania at Hogwarts. Narcissa's hug was more refined but there was a still a watery mist cover her eyes. Melania looked deep into them as the two women were parting.

"I'll do what I can to..." Her words cut off by the slender finger pressed to her lips.

"Don't," Cissy shook her head and those watching noticed that the elegant mane missed its well-known blonde streak. "Lord Lestrange was right. He's with those monsters now. You cannot save what has already died."

Melania nodded, her throat tightening at the pain her aunt was going through, and said the final goodbyes before climbing aboard the Hogwarts Express.

"She'll be okay, Pads," Moony told his dear friend only to be glared at for the unkeepable promise.

"We'll be there for her, Siri," Andromeda reminded her cousin and Cissy nodded forcefully to her sister's words. "Nymphadora will be there to watch over her."

The Marauder's emotions fought against the Calming Drought and the Black family left the station before they broke free. There was more than enough gossip to keep those who had watched the entire scene going for days to come.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Melania found an empty compartment and quickly warded it. Muninn hopped onto the luggage compartment opposite and cocked her head to side.

"They need to realise Harry isn't coming. Hermione knows but not the others," She explained to her familiar as she pulled out a Muggle notebook and pen. "And having me there will keep them from talking freely."

The raven mentally scoffed and Melania looked up from rereading her notes. "Would you want to be there as they talked about Hedwig?"

Muninn looked aghast at that idea and squawked her agreement to the plan. Melania chuckled at the change of opinion and took out a small make-up mirror that would serve as a communications mirror.

Between the two Marauders and Black sisters, the magic that had created the original set was finally cracked and refined into the smaller unit. The two friends had spent the rest of the evening getting drunk and reminiscing over how incredible James' parts of the mirror and Map had been. The same evening had seen Cissy and Andi take Melania away for a girls night so she wouldn't be there once the men's conversation inevitably turned to Lily and then that fateful night.

A tap on the mirror's case had it activate and search out for its target. Her aunts had added much to original design and one of those was a bugging system that locked in on the area around little eyeliner pencils that had been charmed as transmitters. One such pencil had been slipped into Hermione's school robe pocket that morning by Dobby. Muninn's mental eye-roll had Melania defending herself.

"I don't want to _listen,_ " she argued, pretending the words were more convincing than they sounded. "I'm doing it to make sure they're okay."

The raven gave her a disbelieving look and decided to sleep. In an example of perfect maturity, Melania poked her tongue at the black bird before returning to her notebook.

This one was protected as much as she dared to and held all her notes over Slytherin House, Dumbledore's machinations and anything about everyone in Hogwarts. Her very first _Little_ _Black_ _Book._ One of the biggest question marks in the book, and the page she kept returning to, was about the prophecy orb Amelia had confirmed existed in the Department of Mysteries. That the orb could only be taken by Harry or Riddle, and even Amelia agreed in not bringing back Harry just for a prophecy that might be uselessly vague, meant that they could do nothing on that front. Not unless Dumbledore was willing to share its contents with her.

Melania's real worry was that they still had no idea over Dumbledore's eventual endgame. His actions were completely right, for the Greater Good, but it was easy to see that only his definition of the term was important from the man's perspective. The horrible soul containers were still out there and Riddle had been incredibly quiet since breaking his followers out of Azkaban. Snape's report about the Dark Lord's search for a new wand disturbed Melania in how parallel things appeared to be between Harry and Riddle.

And of course there was the situation about what was to be done with Bella once she crawled out of whatever hole she had hidden in.

At least the clearing of her father's name meant Melania could see him at Hogsmeade weekends. The idea brought a smile to her face and she almost reached into her pocket to look at the signed permission slip.

Melania had been so caught up with her thoughts and the sight of the world slipping past the window that she hadn't been keeping an ear on the mirror. A mental shout from the now awake Muninn had her focusing on what was being said.

"Well there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," announced Hermione's disgruntled voice, obviously talking the rest of the compartment. "Boy and girl from each."

"Who?" Neville asked.

"I'm guessing Malfoy for us," Melania smiled at Daphne's tone and could imagine the other girl looking as though she had found something disgusting stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"Yes..." Melania didn't like the nervous way Hermione answered. "And you two really need to be careful this year."

"Of Malfoy?" Tracey scoffed.

"I mean it. All of us need to be careful," Hermione pleaded for the room to listen and Melania stared at the mirror in concern. "You never saw the way he looked at me. There's something in his eyes. Something that made me feel dirty."

Melania sighed and looked at Muninn who shared the same sad and worried feeling. Riddle and Bella's influence on the Malfoy Scion meant it didn't look good for a quiet year in Slytherin.

The group seemed to at least understand Hermione's worry, even if they didn't actually share it, and the conversation moved on to who else the prefects were. The only way Melania knew Luna was among the group was when Hermione asked about the change in the Quibbler's design.

"Daddy's investor increased their involvement," the quiet girl said and her air of sadness bled through the mirror. "It's helped out a lot."

Melania smiled at being able to help the blonde sprite's father but felt deeply sorry for the girl. Muninn skipped down to land on the notebook to nuzzle into her hand.

"We'll look after them, girl," she promised her familiar who sent a wave of agreement through their bond. "We'll protect them."

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

The rest of the trip passed without any major incident. Melania had heard no visit of Malfoy and his bookends to Harry's friends and she had ignored any knocking on the compartment door to focus on her plans.

She was both excited and nervous as the train pulled into the dark station of Hogsmeade. The night skies were obscured by the thick rain clouds that were unleashing their load onto the students and an unlikely brisk, female voice called for the first years. Melania wrapped her thick cloak around her and walked purposefully up to Professor Grubby-Plank, the entire time wondering where the friendly Hagrid had disappeared to.

"Oh," the stern-looking Professor said in surprise. "Lady Black, what are you.. I mean, you don't have to ride with the first years."

"And yet you're expecting them to ride those boats in this weather?" Melania raised an eyebrow to go with the question. She had deliberately kept her cloak's hood off as though to prove the point and Muninn glared at the teacher from her usual perch. The Professor had the good graces to blink in shock as she took a hard look at the boats being buffeted by the choppy water. "Sometimes, Professor, routine and tradition can be edited for the situation at hand."

"Listen up, little ones," Her voice rose above the sound of the heavy rain as she turned to the growing crowd of shivering eleven year-olds. "I am Melania Black and I want you to be very careful as you get on a boat. No pushing or messing about. I won't have any of you falling into the lake in this weather. The Professor and I will come along to cover you in a charm to help keep the rain off you and then it's off to Hogwarts we go."

Professor Grubby-Plank followed Melania's lead and between the two of them the group of small sprogs were safely in their boats, being kept mostly dry through warming charms and a rain avoidance spell Remus had taught her.

The sight of the castle at night, its many windows lit up, hadn't lost its awe even in the bad weather. Hogwarts might not have been a safe place for Harry but it had been his first home and Melania still had the connection to it. She knew she'd defend the place and its people with her life if she had to. The first years were amazed, even those who had magical parents, and it was an excited bunch that was found by Professor McGonagall.

"Amazing work, Miss Black," the Head of Gryffindor complimented as she took stock of the situation. "It's a shame you haven't been Sorted yet or I would award you points."

"Go ahead and give them to Slytherin, Professor," she told the Scotswoman. A strange friendship had developed between the stern woman and fiery teenager during the few times they'd crossed paths at Grimmauld Place. It was something that had hinted at what might have been possible for Harry and his Head of House if things had come about differently. "I think we both know where I'll be going."

"Alas, I fear you may be correct," McGonagall said with genuine regret. "But perhaps it's for the best. As your father's daughter it might be the ideal deterrent to keep the Weasley twins tamed if they had to face you in a prank war."

"Better than us working together you mean?" She smirked, getting a fierce scowl in return.

"Do not joke about such things, young lady. I'd be forced to give up the House Cup immediately if that happened. Now get on in there and be sorted while I talk to these little cubs."

Melania laughed and fingered a wave to the first years as she made her way to the Main Hall. Immediately she assessed the teacher's table, picking out familiar and not-so familiar faces.

"Another year comes and another new elder student joins our ranks," Dumbledore was saying to the listening students while she broke out into a wide grin at seeing the spiky, bubble-gum pink hair of the new DADA Professor. Dora beamed back with glittering eyes even as Professor Snape scowled at losing out on the desired position for yet another year. "So please, do welcome our very own Melania Black!"

The applause was polite and that was the most she could have hoped for as she strode confidently up to the rickety, three-legged stool. Muninn rode with her, taking in the entire Great Hall and only glided over to Dora when her witch sat. A moment before Dumbledore placed the Sorting Hat on her head, Melania saw a chink in the mask and a cold anger that lay beneath the happy facade. She began to wonder what had set the powerful wizard off when the Hat's voice slide between her thoughts.

" _None of that. Even though I'm sure you'll need to know it sooner or later."_

"You don't sound like you're a fan of the Headmaster," she offered.

" _The Headmaster has lost focus towards the students, Lady Black. For the good of Hogwarts and those she is charged to look after, it is a blessing you are here."_

"You know who I used to be?"

" _Oh, of course. Hogwarts knows everything Helena does and by extension, so do I. There is enough of Rowena and her sister in you that I feel positively saudade. Best be getting your Sorting done with before I get all weepy."_

"I would love to know more about them," Melania confessed. "And sometimes it's a bit difficult to ask Helena."

" _You would know about the difficulties in speaking of lost family," t_ he Hat mentally nodded as it slide through her thoughts. It nudged something at the corner of her mind that had Muninn squawking in indignation. _"Ah. Best not being going there unless I want to be stolen._ "

"Best not, Hat," she laughed, softly. The image of an irate raven stealing the Sorting Hat filling both their thoughts. Neither cared how long the Sorting was taking nor the strange looks a number of people were giving them. "But is there really a decision to make?"

" _You have me there,"_ the Hat chuckled. _"Harry went where he was prepared to go and now you will go where you are supposed to. I plead with you, Lady Black, make Salazar's House great again."_

"Better be...SLYTHERIN!"

Once more polite clapping filled the Great Hall. Clapping that was cut off by the surprise appearance of the Grey Lady and Bloody Baron who appeared in the space between their respective Houses. Helena Ravenclaw smiled in welcome to Melania while the Bloody Baron bowed as she approached. She returned the bow and Muninn, who had retaken her favourite shoulder, followed suit.

"You'll forgive me, lady, for I have a word to say to one of your own."

"Of course, Melania. We can share words later," the Grey Lady replied, her voice being heard by many in the Hall for the very first time.

The ghosts faded to the sound of gasps and whispered words at what it all meant. Melania ignored them all with long practice and moved until she was standing beside a morose Luna. The black-haired beauty leaned down to speak to blonde delight and whatever was whispered in her ear had the younger girl filling the Hall with the brilliance of a smile.

As Melania stood, she sent the notorious Ravenclaw bullies a harsh glare and finally took her place among the Snakes. The warning was clear. Luna Lovegood was still under powerful protection even with Harry Potter's absence.

The Hat's song had a rather ominous warning to it. Melania took the time to memorise each new student in order to make sure she would be there for any who might need help and she was one of the loudest to clap the new members of Slytherin. A brief meeting of eyes between herself and Professor Snape had the Potions Master giving a nod of support at her welcoming each first year individually.

"Lady Black, may I introduce myself," began a smooth talking Blaise Zabini.

"Zabini, Blaise," She cut off his suave speech with a Black smirk. "Lady's man wrapped around the finger of that girl sitting opposite you, Tracey Davis. Lord Potter showed me his memories of his years here in order I have an unbiased view of everyone."

"Potter? Unbiased?" Came the drawling dark voice she had been waiting for. She turned to face down the table at the blond Malfoy and immediate saw what had upset Hermione.

There was a fire inside Draco Malfoy's pale eyes that hadn't been there in previous years. It was a zealous strength that reminded her of both Crouch Junior _and_ Riddle himself when the megalomaniac was on one of his monologues. The boy had grown and looked strong without overly muscular and his movements were tightly controlled. All-in-all he had the early signs of a warrior in the making.

 _Morgana._ She thought. _And this is only after two months with those two crazies_.

"I said 'showed me', Malfoy," she reiterated before the silence of her assessment stretched out for too long. "I watched everything from an external eye in order to form my own opinions."

"And what would those opinions be?" Daphne asked and Melania could tell the girl had been disturbed by the change in Malfoy.

"That he was a typical Gryffindor who let everyone lead him around by the nose," she answered truthfully, wiping at her mouth with the napkin in order to collect her thoughts. She knew that the questions were the beginning of sounding her out as a Slytherin. "There were a lot of situations that could have been avoided through thought rather than action but he was very much learning how to adapt last year."

"It's a shame he won't be around to continue his education," Malfoy chuckled, falling back into his old attitude despite the changes.

"Your father certainly knew how to cast a Corrumpatur," Melania smiled a predatory grin at the boy that promised pain and retribution for the attack.

A wave of unease rippled up and down the Slytherin table at the mention of the attempted murder as well as naming the spell involved. Most merely knew it as the Dolohov Special and those in the know wondered who had given away its secrets. It looked as though Draco was ready to snap back a retort yet he visibly pulled himself under control and merely sniffed as though the conversation was beneath him. Those watching were both impressed and worried at the change.

Any future conversation was cut off by Dumbledore rising for announcements.

"I would like to tell all first years, and a few of our older students, that the Forbidden Forest really is out of bounds to all," many rolled their eyes at that. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of two-hundred-and-sixteen banned items is fastened to his office door for you to read."

Bets were immediately placed with the twins over how many new Ravenclaws would actually read the list.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubby-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures. We are also delighted to introduce one of your own as our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Nymphadora Tonks-Black."

A splattering of strong applause, led by Melania, rose up at the second name. And faces turned between the her and the young DADA Professor, easily put two-and-two together.

"Try-outs for Quidditch teams will take place in two Saturdays time and I wish you the best of luck should you choose to do so," here the Headmaster paused and there was a dark gleam when he looked towards the subject of his last announcement. "And for a while we will be having Madam Umbridge with us to assess the quality and safety of our lovely school."

The large, pink covered woman looked completely uncomfortable in her position at the end of the staff table and Melania gave an evil grin at the horrible woman being toothless in her authority. With Fudge being a dead man walking, Umbridge's influence was completely blunted and she had to report directly to Amelia Bones. There was no doubt in Melania's mind that the twisted woman wouldn't last long at Hogwarts.

The Feast was over and students rose to make their way to their respective dorms. The trip down to the Slytherin dungeons brought back memories of second year and Melania idly wondered if a bit of Parseltongue would open the door if she forgot the password. The Common Room looked exactly as it had back then and the first years took up the centre space while the older students created a ring around them to keep any from wandering off. It didn't take long for the ringmaster to arrive and the show to begin.

"I welcome you all to Hogwarts and Slytherin House," Snape began, dark eyes boring into each and every one of them. "I am Professor Snape and your Head of House. Outside of this room you will face discrimination, put-downs and disrespect. People will consider you less than them for the colours you wear and the animal on your breast. This is idiotic thinking by idiotic dunderheads and as proud Slytherins you shall rise above it all."

Melania was already impressed and couldn't argue against anything that had been said. She was also having flashbacks to Harry's very first Potions lesson.

"If there are problems, you come to me. If you get into trouble, you tell me. As much as you represent yourself and this House out there, you also represent me and I will not have any Slytherin bring shame upon themselves, this House or myself. You will work harder, study longer, and be better than everyone else in order to take from this world what it will not give you freely. You are Slytherins. You will make that name and your own something to be reckoned with when you leave Hogwarts no matter where your life takes you."

With that last declaration Snape turned and swished out of the room with his cloak fluttering behind. Melania felt saddened that such a speech was even needed and almost missed it when Malfoy stepped forward.

"A Slytherin does not go anywhere alone," he declared to the impressionable students. "You will always be in twos or threes so that the other Houses do not get the jump on you, for they will. They will attack you and hurt you for simply existing..."

The speech was similar to Snape's only much more militant and aggressive. Melania could take only so much before she burst into loud giggles that cut him off. There was a flash of the familiar brash anger Harry had faced in the past and then a cold mask fell on his face.

"You want to say something, Black?" He sneered. It took her a few times to control the laughter before she was able to respond.

"I'd like to actually," she grinned back with a Dobby-like series of nods, and it wasn't a very pleasant sight. The look softened when she looked around the room, becoming almost sad as she raised family history. "My father, Sirius Black, was a Gryffindor. His brother, Regulus Black, was a Slytherin. You cannot imagine what it meant for them to be split apart by the feud between the two Houses."

"Blood traitor," someone from the back spat and Melania's finger was immediately pointed at the direction of the voice.

" _That_ there is another issue," she proclaimed with passion. "You'll hear a lot about the blood superiority and inferiority this year but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Slytherins constantly being ready to defend themselves from a Gryffindor attack and Gryffindors constantly wary of Slytherin treachery and strikes."

The crowd shuffled as they got caught up in her speech and Draco's fist clenched as he realised he was losing the floor.

"If everyone is ready for the other to attack then anything, _everything_ , comes across as an aggressive act. Will we Slytherins face being looked down upon and mistrusted? Absolutely. But there are loyal Slytherins, ambitious Gryffindors and smart Hufflepuffs. Don't be naïve but don't go looking for trouble and you may find allies or perhaps even friends in the other Houses. At the very least it will make your Hogwarts more enjoyable than constantly going after everyone who isn't a Slytherin."

"You have a lot of opinions for a new girl," Montague stated, stepping forward to look between the two speakers.

"Experience," she bluntly said and her glare had no one doubting it.

"First years. You've heard both sides of the debate. The other students will show you to your rooms where you can think over everything you've heard."

The dismissal clear, the room took no time to empty until only the more experienced Slytherins remained. Every face was blank as thoughts were kept safely behind well practised masks.

"Slytherin faces a crises," Carl Montague announced while his fellow Slytherin leader Adrian Pucey eyed any reactions to be seen. "We know what happened last year and what has happened over the summer. We also know that many things have happened that we do not know of."

"What are you going on about, Montague," Malfoy demanded with his old attitude only for Pucey to speak up.

"Cards on the table, Malfoy. This isn't a silly school debate we're talking about here."

Draco stared at the older boy and then, slowly, nodded in agreement.

"You, Draco Malfoy, are the Dark Lord's emissary within this House, are you not?" Montague asked and Melania was shocked at the blunt question. She couldn't hide her surprise at the equally blunt answer.

"I am," the two older boys nodded as though they had expected him to be truthful.

"And you, Lady Black. You stand alongside House Potter in the defiance against both the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore?"

Suddenly it all clicked for Melania. Lord Greengrass' offer of combining the Grey Houses looked to have filtered down to their children. She only hoped their decision was the right one.

"I do. We stand against all those who believe in only a singular vision of how we should live our lives."

"As Grey as always. True followers of the Old Ways," Nott spoke up from his position beside Daphne and it was the conversation with Lord Lestrange that she thought of then. Her eyes quickly scanned the room to pick out the Carrow twins and the secret Lestrange Scion. All three met her look without blinking.

"As we thought," Montague continued with a hard glare at them both. "So Slytherin House and the Grey Families are at an impasse. The Families realised that the previous generation made a mess of the choices during the Blood War and have allowed us to make our own."

Draco's eyes narrowed and he went to interrupt only for what was said next to surprise him into silence.

"Pass on a message to the Dark Lord, Malfoy," Pucey announced and everyone gasped. "You, not him, nor any of his followers out there, but _you_ , have the year in which to influence and draw us to the Dark Lord's side. Any pressure to our families over the next year will prove that he cares nothing for the Old Ways and is only out for himself."

"You dare set terms to the Dark Lord?" Malfoy looked nauseated at the idea though it was gone quickly behind his mask. _Occlumency shields_ Melania realised, disgusted with herself for not recognising the signs sooner.

"We dare to propose a deal," Montague retorted with a sneer that made it obvious which way he was leaning. "You sway us by the end of the school year and he'll have every Grey House there is beneath his banner."

The blond's chest swelled at the idea of essentially winning the war before it started while Melania felt truly sick at the image being presented. It was only Muninn's soothing thoughts that kept it from showing to the eagle-eyed group.

"And you, Lady Black. You have the same amount of time to sway us to stand with the ancient vanguards of the Old Ways against both the Dark Lord and the Chief Warlock."

She let out a long, calming breath. If she could do what was being suggested it would cripple both sides of the war. Regardless of what the propaganda said, the Greys were the real force in Wizarding Britain and could undermine everything either side wanted to do if they moved as one. Her plans had been to become Slytherin Queen and now the stakes were even higher.

"I accept your challenge," Malfoy announced and many, including Melania, shook their heads at his bravado.

"You should speak to Riddle first before speaking in his name, cousin. He isn't a man who likes people thinking for themselves," She explained to the boy. A few eyes blinked at the use of the name. "As Lady Black and Regent Potter, I accept the terms of the Grey Houses. And the Dark Lord's birth name is Tom Marvolo Riddle Junior, he has an award to the school in case you wish to check."

Montague blankly nodded while Pucey smirked as Melania won the first round. Malfoy fumed at not only being dressed down for his enthusiasm in speaking with the Dark Lord's voice, but also that personal information of his Master had been given out.

"Greengrass can show you to your room," Pucey told her. "And both of you remember that this is Slytherin business."

In other words, publicly clash at your own peril.

.

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oOoOo


	30. A Xanthrochromic Demon

**AN: Well, well, well, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm back off my holiday and there is the next chapter of Son of Potter. It's not quite what I was hoping but I'm happy with the majority of it.**

 **Seems you all enjoyed the previous chapter and are looking forward to the political struggle between the two Slytherins. You'll see the first round here as well as Melania begin her interactions with Harry's friends.**

 **Meck Viking - Not sure if you've noticed but this is _definitely_ not simply a genderswap in canon.**

 **DarkWolf90 - Sorry to disappoint but there's no redeeming Bellatrix in this story. However that's not the case in Wrath of Blacks nor some other stories I'll be writing. As for the main pairing, it's still very much Mel and Tonks.**

 **setokayba2n - Umbitch is in this chapter (barely) and one other. It's really a throw away part and there'll be no torturing with blood quills here.**

 **Aidis - Thanks for the kind words. I'm actually going back (slowly) and updating/editing the early chapters so hopefully it's an easier read for new readers.**

 **Guest - The Potter traditions won't be touched on in this story. While Harry will be seen again, he's given himself over to being Melania.**

* * *

A Xanthochromic Demon

 _2_ _nd_ _September, 1995 - Hogwarts_

Melania's first morning in Hogwarts saw her wake early, body full of energy at being at the school while mentally she was exhausted over what had transpired the previous evening.

The Slytherin rooms were roughly the same size as their Gryffindor counterparts but had the grace to be three girls to a room. This extra space gave each girl breathing room, which was made all the easier by the curtains extending a foot around the bed itself.

Apparently there had been some rearranging to be done in order for Melania to be put with Daphne and Tracey – she suspected Snape's hand in keeping her away from the Darker females of the House – and Harry's two friends had avoided saying anything of importance.

Melania took no offence in the girls' coldness. Slytherins were masters of allowing silence to speak when words would tell more than they wanted. Instead, Melania had spent the night mirror-calling her family to discuss the latest developments. Poor Narcissa had walked out of the room, her dignity wrapped tightly around her broken heart. It was quickly decided that Melania was to use her status as Lady Black to leave the school on the weekends in order to continue her private training.

After all, the Slytherin thing to do would be to kill her off before she had a chance to actually influence the Grey Families. That Draco now appeared to be more Slytherin, and generally more dangerous, went unsaid.

Which was why that Saturday morning saw Melania quietly wash and dress before knocking on Snape's office door. And if there was a giant knot in her stomach then that was her business.

The brooding Potions Master was not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. He loathed people who could be bright and cheerful before he'd managed to have his morning coffee, a drink that some might say was as bitter and black as he. So it was that he wasn't too pleased to hear knocking. The only reason he wasn't snarling as he opened the door was due to his private wards indicating the visitor to be one of his snakes. At seeing _which_ snake it was he lifted a very Slytherin eyebrow that asked many things without really saying anything.

Melania was glad that both her aunts had taken the time to actually teach her the eyebrow. Otherwise she might be a tad jealous of the man.

"Morning, Master Snape. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"This is a school, Miss Black," he drawled, indicting her to enter as he made his way over to his desk. "Ergo I am always being disturbed."

She couldn't deny _that_ logic.

The door clicked quietly behind Melania and she calmly followed her Head of House, taking the chair he waved her into.

"I suspected you would visit me at some point. I could be amazed that a child of Sirius Black is here before classes have even officially started. But then that would make me a dunderhead."

The comment lacked the venom that it would once had possessed. Instead it was merely a snide and sarcastic observation that was so typically Snape.

"It's a heady legacy to live down to, sir," she quipped in return as she settled into the chair. For all the fun and pranks the Marauders had engaged in, Melania was completely unimpressed by their darker stunts. The acid in her words conveying this to one of their main victims in a way words would never be believed.

"Indeed," he replied, dark eyes softening a fraction. "And your point of being here, Miss Black?"

"I know we discussed my schedule being disrupted due to Wizengamot commitments," she said, getting a grunt in reply. "I also believe that you are the type of Professor who knows everything going on in your House."

 _Unlike some_. Hung in the air between them.

"Your observation is interesting," his non-committal replied exactly what she would have expected. "Shall I conclude that your two points have something in common?"

"It was never my intention to be Lady Black while in Hogwarts, Master Snape," she promised, emotion bleeding through her Occlumency, and was grateful he seemed to believe her. "But due to the events of last night, I'll be using my privilege as Head of House Black to go home most weekends."

Silence reigned as Snape stared down the daughter of his hated foe. Unknown to the girl, Narcissa had sat Severus down one evening to explain how, not only did Melania know _exactly_ what had gone on between himself and her father, but that she had also verbally torn strips off Black over the Incident. Severus wouldn't have believed the words from anyone but Narcissa. That the woman also made sure she hadn't been impressed by his own side of the dispute added to his opinion of once Malfoy.

As he took in his latest snake, one that reminded him so much of Lily, he realised he simply couldn't put the sins of the father onto the daughter. Not after giving up doing the same with Harry Potter.

"There is one singular sad truth of war, Miss Black, and that it will always make family turn against itself," a point that neither had to look far to find proof of. "If you wish to go, you will leave _only_ by my personal Floo. You will also return at the time I dictate unless a good enough reason is provided. Deviate from these rules and I will make you so busy with detentions that you won't have time to think about leaving. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal, sir," she accepted the limitations without question. They both knew that if things came to a head, her place as Lady Black trumped his as her Professor. But protocol was maintained and respect given. With business concluded, Melania rose and made her way to the door. She was about to open it when a question bubbled free. "Professor, you knew my uncle, didn't you?"

"Regulus?" Snape blinked at the query and slowly nodded, unsure exactly what was being asked. "I did."

"If possible," Melania paused as the nerves threatened to make her voice quiver. "If possible, I would like to know your thoughts on him. It's a painful topic for my father but I'd like to know as much about my family as I can."

Snape's dark eyes poured into hers. Their intensity suggested Legilimency but instead he was merely reading her soul. He slowly nodded and Melania released the breath she had been holding. She turned back to the door as she pulled it open, only to freeze again when she saw who was standing on the other side.

Snape picked up his cup of coffee and smirked. _Snape 1, Black 0_ he chuckled, having already known who was there.

"Hello, Black," the blonde girl said with a smirk worthy of the man.

"Greengrass, Davis," Melania nodded to the two girls, unconsciously closing the door behind her. "Master Snape is free if you wanted to talk to him."

"Oh no, that's fine," the bubbly Tracey Davis grinned without repentance. "We were waiting for you."

Melania frowned, wondering if she had missed something and Daphne's smirk only grew at her confusion. "Slytherins aren't supposed to be alone."

"Ah, Malfoy," Melania said as she made her way down the corridor. She was sure she heard Daphne growl at the Ferret's name.

"We're allies, Black," Daphne said as though talking to a simpleton. Or a Gryffindor. Really, for a Slytherin there wasn't much difference. "I wouldn't be a very good ally if I let the bastard get you, would I?"

Neither girl decided to mention it was Melania who had placed Daphne under House protection.

"Enough of this!" Tracey declared as she moved to scoop her arm through Melania's. The raven-headed girl stared at Tracey and wondered if she'd been dropped on her head as a child. It would explain _so_ much. "I heard a really interesting story about you and Potter. And just what did you wear at the Wizengamot Thursday?"

Daphne groaned and followed her friend at a slightly more sedate pace while Melania joyfully laughed at the silliness of the questions coming her way.

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oOoOo

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 _12 Grimmauld Place._

Narcissa Black, also known as Dowager Malfoy, sat alone and in silence. It wasn't a comfortable silence but rather one filled with the pain of a woman lost at sea.

She had forced herself awake when the pain in her heart demanded her to stay asleep. She had driven herself downstairs when she wanted nothing more than to stay in her room. But she had ultimately been unable to face the rest of her family for breakfast. She had instead retreated to a place she felt most comfortable, the most safe. The potions lab. There she stayed, alone with her pain, until one relentlessly gentle wolf hunted her down.

"Narcissa," Remus' deep voice caused her traitorous heart to skip as he knelt down in front of her. The werewolf, who used nicknames as often as her cousin, his best friend, did, had continuously refused to tarnish her name with one. His gentle hands wrapped around hers and she knew he wouldn't let go unless she asked. "You're not alone in this. We're all with you."

She looked deep into his brown eyes and saw the tell-tale amber that always lurked within. She knew what he was thinking, what the others were thinking, and couldn't fight back a weak smirk.

"I lost my son years ago, Remus," she repeated a confession they had shared before. "This is a little more selfish than Draco."

"Tell me. Please."

She looked away from him, unable to face the man who had aided her in reclaiming her life's passion. She wanted to hold back, to remain the in control Slytherin she was. But like so many other talks between the two of them, the words came of their own accord.

"I was the baby of the family," her voice was low but calm, devoid of any self-pity. "I grew up knowing my place in the family and our world. I watched Sirius rebel and be thrown from the family while Regulus obeyed and died for a madman's cause. I watched Bella give herself to the Black Madness in order to serve her _Master_ and I lost Andi when she ran away for love."

The word 'master' was spat with such disgust that even Moony reacted to cause Remus' eyes to momentarily change at the woman's obvious pain.

"Through it all I knew my place. A dutiful wife who would provide an heir to my husband's name and possibly one to the Blacks," Narcissa looked back to the man who still held her hands in his, the feeling pushing back the chill she had felt since awakening. "We have a Lady Black, I have a dead husband and my son is exactly what Lucius wanted. Tell me, Remus Lupin. Where is my place now?"

"Anywhere you wish it to be," he replied with intensity, He, like the others, had believed the issue to be the news of Draco. But now he understood and he would do everything to help her find a new meaning to her life. "You are Narcissa Black, sister to Andromeda, cousin to my best friend, and aunt to my cub. You're a powerful witch, an incredibly smart woman and you're able to brew a Wolfsbane potion that is better than Snape's. Narcissa, you could do _anything_ you want to."

His voice had risen, his passion and belief at what he was saying shining through them. Narcissa Black, Pure-blood witch, stared down at the Half-blood werewolf in front of her and began to believe that she truly could have whatever she wanted. It was the exact same message they had been drilling into Melania. It was the same message Sirius had lived by and, regardless of the horrors of Azkaban, her cousin was still standing tall. The once Queen of Slytherin House gently cupped Remus' cheek and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his stubble covered cheek mere breaths from the corner of his mouth

"Remus Lupin," she smiled, standing with renewed vigour and purpose. "When, and if, you are ready, I would be very amenable to a relationship. Do not forget to speak to my Head of House first."

And with that she walked out of the potions lab to have breakfast with her sister and cousin, leaving behind an incredibly befuddled Moony.

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oOoOo

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 _Hogwarts._

"Is there anything Potter hasn't told you?" Daphne asked as they approached the seventh floor.

"There's very little I don't know about his time here," Melania chuckled at the private joke, only to be surprised when they found the Room of Requirement already occupied.

The three girls carefully pushed open the door and stepped in, only to stop dead at the sight in front of them. The two on either side of Lady Black eyed the spectacle with appreciation while Melania was secretly beaming.

A sweaty and determined Neville was pushing himself around a running track and it looked like he had been going for a while. A collection of Muggle training equipment was scattered around the centre of the room and from the haphazard way some of the equipment looked, she suspected he had already used them.

She was proud of him for continuing the workout he and Harry had set up the previous year. It was exactly what the shy but strong boy needed. She quietly moved over to the side and sat cross-legged on the firm floor in order to slip easily into her Animagus meditations.

The other two girls were too focused on a tank top wearing Neville to notice.

Sirius had confessed that the Marauders had celebrated their Animagus success then thought nothing of it. It wasn't until their Animagi began to influence their personalities that they realise more work was needed to be done. It had been James who had found out they needed to merge minds as well as bodies or run the risk of completely losing themselves to the animals.

Melania suspected he had gone to McGonagall, pretended to be the only one to get it to work, and begged for help.

She wasn't sure how long she meditated but she could sense the familiar feel of Neville slowly approaching. She pulled herself back from the wolf and opened her eyes, noticing immediately that he was back in uniform. She smiled up at him and mentally chuckled at his shy glances to the other girls.

"Morning," she offered as she uncurled her limbs.

"Morning. I should have guessed Harry told you about this place."

"He felt it was something I needed to know," she explained with a shrug, surprised when he helped her stand.

"That thing you said to me at the station..." Neville started to say, pausing to once again glance at the Slytherins who looked on with undisguised interest. "I mean..."

"Greenhouse, before his trial?" She offered with cheeky smile that settled his nerves. "I was the one he was talking about."

Neville gave a firm nod. His eyes partly narrowed and there was a slight twist to his lips that Melania recognised as him having more questions. Daphne and Tracey watched eagerly, both girls doing their best to fill in the blanks.

"The spell that Harry used on Crouch, do you know it?"

"I do," she answered, truthfully, unsure if she was happy with where he was going.

"Could you teach me? Or just show me, maybe?"

There was an eagerness in Neville's eyes that unsettled Melania until she realised what it was. The need for closure. The room changed around them until familiar training dummies stood ready at one end.

"Why?" She asked him as she walked towards the dummies, her mind instantly replaying when Harry had used the spell. She was tempted, he was her friend after all, but it wasn't the type of magic to simply throw around. "What do you hope to see, Neville?"

"I want to know what Harry did," was the immediate response that had her humming an empty reply. Neville knew he needed something more for the intimidating Lady Black and sighed. "I was working with Harry last year. I want to keep up my training so I can defend myself."

"And maybe take out a Lestrange or two?" Melania turned back to him with a raised eyebrow that had him looking away, unable or unwilling to answer. "I would suggest never going after Bellatrix, Neville. Much greater people than you or I have fallen to her wand."

The Gryffindor boy sighed in disappointment, his self-confidence withering at the idea of not being able to avenge his parents. She looked back to her fellow Slytherins and imagined what would happen to them if Death Eaters got them. _Morgana, even Malfoy with how he is now_.

"Yet I can't deny it would be a good thing for you to know. The three of you to know. As long as you all understand that this isn't a toy," she told them, forcefully, her gaze now harsh as it turned back to Neville. "You don't throw magic like this around because you're angry at someone. Or to win a duel or, Morgana forbid, to prove a point. You get this spell wrong and you become a murderer, do you understand me?"

Neville took a deep breath and allowed himself to really think over what Melania had said. It sounded like a speech Harry would give him and he gave it the same respect.

"Absolutely," he eventually promised. She could see it in his eyes that he actually did understand what she had said. "I know this isn't a game."

Hard laurel-green eyes turned to bright blue. Daphne had no need to think.

"My father saw Crouch Junior's medical file. He said he hadn't seen anything like it since the war," Melania wondered who had fallen to the family spell that time. "I need to see it, Black. I have to protect my sister."

Tracey could only nod but her paleness showed that she too was taking everything seriously.

"Very well," Melania stated as she moved a decent distance from the dummies. They quickly moved to her side as she took a duelling stance. "I'll show you now and you can practice in your own time. But if I hear of this being used in a situation that's not life and death, I'll have words with any and all of you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, milady," Neville bowed to her and she grunted at the formal language. The girls smirked and nodded their argument.

"It's a two-stage spell," she explained, not realising she had easily slipped into teacher mode. "The physical move is as difficult as the conceptualisation even if it doesn't seem like it. It's a very sharp half-turn and snap of the wrist."

She showed them a slow version of the movement and then the proper one. Neville jumped the gun and attempted it full speed only to drop his wand with a wince as his tendons twisted painfully. The girls winced but managed to hold onto theirs.

"And that's exactly what I mean," she smiled gently to ease the stern lesson and silently summoned the lost wand. "You overdo the practice of this spell and you can cause more damage to yourself than you do to the dummy."

"I can see that." Neville winced, gingerly taking the wand. The girls blinked at the casual use of the _Accio_.

"What's the visualisation?" Daphne gingerly asked, unable to shake the look in her father's eyes when he told her about the spell. It was one reason he was happy getting into an alliance with the Blacks.

"The spell is a blade," she explained, her chuckle dark when she received nothing but confused frowns. "It takes your will and focus to decide what type of blade that should be."

"Like a cutting curse?" Tracey asked in confusions.

"You'd think so. _Pertundere,_ " a quick flash of red seared across the dummy's neck to leave behind a very thin slice in the material. "That was a scalpel cut, by the way."

What followed was a shocking and eye-opening experience as Melania went through causing a stiletto piercing, a stab from a kitchen knife, a large gash from a duelling sword and then ripping the dummy's stomach open with what could have been a war-axe wound. There appeared to be nothing different about any of her attacks and she even said the spell in the same quiet, nonchalant manner each time.

"That's _all_ down to visualisation?" Neville gulped. Tracey was shaking slightly at the power she had seen while Daphne couldn't stop blinking, her Ice Queen mask completely shattered.

"It is. You could also use power variation if that's too difficult for you but it's a much less refined method. You should practice the visualisation," Melania told them as she turned to a second dummy. "And now I'll show you exactly what Harry did to Crouch Junior."

With a move that was almost too fast for them to follow Melania cast two Pertunderes almost instantaneously. The inner glee Neville felt at knowing what had brought his family's enemy to his death was drenched in cold realism at the destruction of the dummy's limbs. Neville's loyalty to Harry shot up at seeing exactly what his brother in all but blood had done while the Slytherin girls could actually see a light at the end of the horrible tunnel that was the coming war.

"And now it's time for breakfast," Melania stated with more passion than she had used throughout the impromptu lesson. "And remember what I told you. Life or death situations only if you don't want to see me mad."

She was out of the Room of Requirement before any of them could react. Neville stared at the door in awe while Daphne looked over both dummies with cold efficiency. Trust in Tracey to find the words they were both thinking.

"And _that's_ why you don't piss off a Black."

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oOoOo

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 _4th September, 1995_

The first few days at Hogwarts were strange for Melania. It was as though she had slipped on a favourite top only to find it didn't quite fit the way it should. It didn't take long for her to realise why. She was seeing the school and everyone within from her own perspective, one that really was different from Harry's.

The weekend had been slow with Melania deciding not to disappear back to Grimmauld until the following one, and the neutral Slytherins had taken it in turns to stick close. If it had been the Draco Malfoy of previous years then Melania would have scoffed at the idea of needing protection from the blond-haired demon but not now, not with that dark glint in his pale eyes.

The first thing that stood out for Melania was Neville and Luna becoming a couple. The two sat next to each other during the weekend's meals and were often found wandering the grounds. Melania had no idea what happened between the boy and Hermione but the bookworm seemed to have no obvious issues with the new arrangement.

"Looking forward to going one-on-one with Granger?" Tracey smirked as the trio made their way to the first Potions class of the year.

Mondays were extremely busy with the Slytherins sharing an early morning double Herbology with Ravenclaw and then both double Potions and double DADA with the Lions after lunch. Apparently Tracey had decided that Melania would be their champion to go up against the talented Gryffindor.

"It's not a competition, Davis," she sighed with an eye-roll while Daphne smirked at her already becoming exhausted by the hyperactive girl.

"Oh come on!" She cried, bouncing down the hallway with far too much enthusiasm for half their year. "We finally have someone to kick her arse."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Daphne grumbled, causing Melania to laugh at the blonde's irritation. The Greengrass name had been high in the grade charts since their first year.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Daph," Tracey waved away her friend's attitude. "Mel here is the niece of _Andromeda Tonks_. She's bound to have been taught some tricks."

It still amazed Melania that her once-disowned aunt was the one who had the reputation as a Potions Mistress even though it was obvious which sister lived and breathed the craft. The Lady Black simply shook her head as they approached the dungeon.

This time it was the Gryffindors who were waiting on the snakes with Hermione nose-deep in a potions book already. Ron was busy talking to Seamus and Dean while Neville appeared to be in a deep conversation about his beloved plants with the quiet duo of Fay Dunbar and Kellah King. He stopped in his intense talk to nod hello but that was it. She completely ignored Weasley's glare.

"Speaking of my aunt," Melania mused, turning to Tracey with a gleam in her laurel eyes. "Maybe I should schedule you in for a appointment. All this energy can't be good for you."

Theodore - call me Theo – Nott snorted at the quip while Blaise Zabini did his best not to laugh at his girlfriend's scandalous look. The girl was about to fire a retort when the class door opened and their Head of House ushered them all in with nought but a glare.

"Miss Black," Snape drawled in his soft voice that demanded attention. "I shall be placing you with Mister Nott after today's lesson. For now there is a spare table at the back with ingredients already laid out. You are to follow the included instructions to the best of your ability, is that clear?"

"Diamond, Master Snape," she nodded, throwing out the reminder of their talk back at Grimmauld. There was a slight twitch of the eyebrow to show he recognised her wording but nothing more.

Hermione stared as she passed and Melania easily deciphered the information hungry look. Malfoy sneered and Weasley did a surprisingly good impression of the ferret.

"Teacher's pet."

"Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley. Do you want to continue and go for ten? I didn't think so."

She ignored them all and stood at her lone desk. She wasn't too surprised by Snape's pop-quiz given what he knew of her talent and passion for the subject, and she only hoped she didn't mess whatever it was she was supposed to brew.

"Before we begin today's lesson," Snape said, cutting off her worries. "I shall remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my...displeasure."

The last part was said with his dark gaze firmly on the no doubt scowling Ronald Weasley. Melania was only able to see the reddening of his ears but knew the boy was already losing his temper at their teacher. She, on the other hand, saw Snape's attitude as something different after experiencing the single-minded focus that was aunt Andromeda's training.

"After this year, of course, many will cease studying with me. I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T.S Potions class, which means some of us will certainly be saying goodbye." The glare towards Melania was simply to translate. _You had better not be one of those dunderheads._ "But we have another year to go before that happy moment of fare-well. So, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students."

This time Snape's gaze swept the entire classroom as though to dare anyone there to disobey him. His voice had not risen once yet the meaning of every syllable was clear.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Drought of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing.

"The ingredients and method are on the blackboard and you will find everything you need in the store cupboard. Miss Black, yours are in front of you. Begin."

The class filled with the usual noise of students rushing to the store cupboard with only two remaining in their places. Melania studied her personal test while Neville followed a trick Harry had taught him and wrote everything down in his own hand, triple-checking against the blackboard, in order to not mess up once the room filled with fumes.

Melania used her experience dealing with the mischievous Marauders and blocked out the majority of the class. She had put a shield over her cauldron and only took enough notice of her surroundings to be forewarned if someone messed up to the point of causing an explosion. She had to smirk when she found one of the instructions to be Mandrake root and Snape had left out which blade type to cut with.

The steps were precise and delicate and it was only Narcissa's training that allowed her to juggle the intricate stages while mentally checking to make sure what was written down was actually the best way of handling each ingredient.

"Granger," the Potions Master's voice cut through Melania's focus enough that she looked up in surprise. It wasn't often that Hermione got called out in the class. "Pay attention to your own potion rather than watching someone else work. You're thirty seconds away from destroying your drought."

Most of the class looked on in awe as Hermione _eeped_ and quickly added in the ingredient she had forgotten. Melania sighed and shook her head, quickly returning to her own work. She didn't need to ask to know who the brainy Gryffindor had been watching.

She was sweating by the time the last step was over and had a crick in the neck that always signalled a hard worked brew. Snape had kept away from her table as he made his usual rounds and only stalked her way once he saw her step away from the cauldron and the simmering green liquid.

There were no words as he carefully poured the potion into a ready vial and held it up to the light in order to get a closer look. Melania waited, knowing that any comment would come at the end of his inspection. Snape carefully tilted the vial until a small drop of the potion sat on his fingertip and then quickly licked it up before it could slip off.

"Miss Black there is one mistake with this particular potion that even Masters can easily make without costing the potion its use. Do you know what that is?"

"No, Master Snape," she said, not even attempting to consider the question. She knew she would have to take time in studying the process in order to know the answer. Heck, she would need to study the process in order to simply work out what it was she had just brewed. Snape nodded as though pleased with her answer.

"Belladonna. You must make sure that the stem of the belladonna is removed completely or else the potion cannot reach full potency," he explained, putting a stopper on the vial and slipping it into his robes. The two stared at each other for a moment before he continued. "You, Miss Black, have brewed a Mastery-level anti-Cruciatus Potion that I would willingly use. Do not let this level of quality drop or else."

Melania was speechless and barely managed a nod as he spun around to breeze through the rest of the class. Those closest caught enough of his soft comment to gape between her and the cauldron. Snape's snide comments at the mess Weasley made of his attempt brought her out of her daze and she quickly pulled out some of her own vials in order to save the potion. The Professor nodded at her actions.

"It is now time to vial up whatever disastrous results you have," Snape commanded, and the students quickly followed the order. "Mark your work clearly and leave it on my desk for testing. I want twelve inches on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion making. Miss Black, a _detailed_ breakdown of what you have just brewed and how each stage reacts to the others. You'll be with Nott from now on."

The mixed group of students shuffled out of the class and all made their way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Daphne and Tracey slipped easily to her side with the latter speechless at what had just happened.

"Well that was...interesting," Melania mused aloud, wondering how the Family would take hearing about her first class.

Thinking of the Family reminded her of what class was after the upcoming single Ancient Runes. Melania felt her heart fluttering at the though and was practically bouncing down the hallway by the time someone spoke up.

"I bet you loved that, Black," Weasley snarled from within his group of Gryffindor lackeys. Hermione hissed at him to hold his tongue but the boy's anger had been cooking for the entire Potions lesson. "You snakes always get the special attention."

Melania went to turn towards the idiot but was stopped by Neville stepping in close. His eyes were hard but friendly and the message was clear. She nodded her thanks and kept walking, the Ancient Runes class being her freedom from immature prats.

That class also saw her take a test in order for Professor Babbling to assess her ability and lunch was spent in the kitchens as she tried desperately to settle her nervous stomach. The attempts failed and she found herself almost skipping in her eagerness to see Dora again.

The DADA room had been enlarged and there were two obvious surprises for the Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Everything had been pushed to the edges so that the centre could be taken up by a large, circular duelling platform. It was more like the one inside Grimmauld Place than what Harry had been taught to use. The more traditionally long platforms were for standard, tournament, duels while these were nothing more than training aids in learning how to fight. The second surprise should have been expected after the first as Professor Flitwick was found to be talking softly to Dora as the students shuffled into the class.

Everyone ignored Umbridge sitting in a corner like some type of demented paperweight as they stood before their new teacher.

"Right, you lot," Dora's energetic voice cut across the chatter as the class started. "There won't be any 'Professor this' or 'Professor that' with me unless you really you're really annoying. You'll call me Tonks or Ms. Tonks-Black only."

Melania broke into a huge grin at hearing the second name and Dora did her best to ignore the warmth it caused in her stomach.

"I'm an Auror, trained under Mad-Eye Moody, and I know what's out there." the happy-go-lucky smile slipped away as she became deadly serious. "Some people can go their entire lives without ever getting into a magical confrontation. Others might end up in more than they ever wished."

"Like Potter," Pansy Parkinson scoffed. Melania noticed only Crabbe and Goyle actually laughed with her while the others in green held their silence. The Gryffindors looked ready to start casting.

"Hem. Hem," the throaty call of the endangered Ministry Toad sounded out. "Do you really think it wise to teach students how to fight, Ms. Tonks? What exactly do you expect them to find out there?"

"I'm an Auror, Madam Umbridge," Dora stared the woman down and many of the boys gulped at the fury in her heart-shaped face. "It's our jobs to make sure people like you can have that opinion of the world."

"That's what I mean. So why would..."

" _However,_ " she interrupted with force and there was a flabby snap as Umbridge's mouth slammed shut. "There are times when Aurors can't get there in time and people need to know how to protect themselves."

Umbridge tried to sneer at Dora as she scribbled something down on her notepad but the Auror ignored her.

"However before I can teach any of you squiggly maggots what you need to know," Dora turned her attention back to the class and there was a small cycling of colour in her hair. The changes were so low key that Melania wondered if Dora had used the potion that kept accidental changes under control. "I first need to know where you are in a practical sense. Which is why the platform behind me and Professor Flitwick are both here. We're going to have some duelling going on and, apart from Miss Black, each of you is going to be getting their chance."

"Why not her?" Ron shouted out from the Gryffindor pack and there were a few other lions grumbling at the favouritism, especially after Potions. "What makes her so special?"

"I was part of Miss Black's personal training in the summer, Mister Weasley. I know exactly what she is capable of with a wand," Dora snapped with a narrowing of the eyes and people closest to Ron quickly edged away from him. Suddenly everyone remembered what family their teacher was a member of. "What I _don't_ know is if you're any good with a wand or even if you know how to use it beyond picking your nose."

Melania's eyebrow raised at the insult. Apparently Dora was still angry at Ron's attitude to Harry and Narcissa. The Slytherins chuckled at the put-down while the boy's ears turned red. He looked to be ready to put his foot in it until Professor Flitwick gave a cough and glared at the Gryffindor.

As the class proceeded Melania was glad the duels weren't down House lines the way many of the teachers would have done them and she suspected Flitwick had offered his suggestions at who was best matched to whom. The winners and losers were being paired off against each other in order to find a true ranking of the class as a whole.

Melania found the quality of the duels disappointing. She had grown to appreciate a proper duel with Flitwick and truly caught the duelling bug over the summer. She was even thinking of going professional once Riddle was over with. So it was with heavy sadness that she saw how little practical thinking many of her classmates had put into their DADA education.

The class was split. There were those who simply stood still and flung whatever spells they knew at their opponent until one was powerful enough to win the match and these students typically wore red and gold. Those from Darker families showed talent in spell usage but still lacked any true situational awareness. Those who had witnessed Harry's training with Flitwick were the outliers, showing a willingness to both move and think outside of the box. The diminutive Professor swelled with pride each time one of them would perform something from one of his lessons with Harry.

There was one other outstanding performer. Malfoy was steam-rolling anyone Dora put him against and doing so as painfully as possible. Even those who had watched Harry and Flitwick weren't really able to stand against the blond's wand.

"He's good," Hermione softly said beside Melania. Her duel with Daphne had been the longest so far with each clever witch using spells beyond most of what the class knew. It had come down to a war of attrition and only Daphne's experience of practising with Lord Greengrass enabled the Slytherin girl to win. The two had shared a smile and everyone knew that a friendly rematch was in the air. "He must have had a really good teacher."

"Not in the way you mean," Melania argued as she watched the blond easily shielding an Expelliarmus. "A teacher is a blacksmith, Hermione. Their job is to take the raw steel of their student and turn them into a weapon. It takes time to carefully mould and sharpen the student into the best quality they can be. A good teacher pushes the student hard but with a gentle touch, forging and sharpening the blade no matter how long it takes."

Melania was so focused on watching Malfoy move that she failed to realise she had more than Hermione as a captive audience.

"What you have with Draco is the product of a teacher that doesn't care about their student. They don't care about the quality of the blade, only that it's sharp and deadly. It's not a finely honed weapon. The student has been pummelled into knowing not shaped."

She stepped away from the eagerly listening crowd and moved up next to Dora who frowned at the seriousness of her expression.

"Put me up there against him," Melania whispered with passion. "I need to derail his success."

"This isn't a popularity contest," Dora hissed back. She had heard Melania's words and fully agreed with them but that didn't mean she wanted to see the two go at it. Melania simply rolled her eyes.

"I know that. Look, we both know who taught him the moves he's using," Dora nodded sadly then winced as Dean Thomas landed hard on the platform. The Auror was surprised her cousin hadn't seriously hurt someone with some of his spells. "He isn't as good as he thinks he is, not by a long shot. But do you really want him being the King of the Ring with the way he's changed?"

Dora pulled back and eyed her friend carefully, measuring the girl's gaze. She tried to ignore her traitorous heart that raced at the intensity of those eyes staring back. "You'll be painting a target on your back."

"No more than I already have," Melania countered, hinting at the deal of the Grey Houses. Once again Dora couldn't argue and the metamorph sighed in defeat.

"Right then. Malfoy, you get to go up against Black. If you're willing."

Draco stared at Melania who calmly looked back. The Gryffindors wanted to see the two biggest Snakes tear each other apart while the Slytherins saw the potential duel as an early step towards their eventual decision. It seemed as though everyone held their breath while the two locked gazes. Then Malfoy slowly nodded his agreement and the air came alive with excitement.

Melania was careful in climbing the platform, making sure she wasn't too hasty in getting to the starting position nor looked to be dragging it out. The two cousins eyed at each other, neither one speaking, and Dora gave the commands.

"Bow to each other," they did, and for a moment flashbacks to the cemetery threatened to overwhelm Melania. She ruthlessly pushed them away. Neither made to jump the gun. "Begin."

The duel began with nothing. Neither opponent made to cast nor even move as they waited for the other to break the deadlock. The pause was just long enough for the crowd to become restless when the two duellist exploded into movement and spell-fire.

Tonks had secretly increased the platform's wards to their maximum level and yet still they trembled beneath the power of the spells that shot past where their target no longer was. Neither had yet to even use a Protego, instead relying on pure physical ability to save themselves. The majority of the watching crowd had their jaws drop at what they were seeing.

Umbridge took one look at the ferocity of Melania Black's attacks and knew she would have to do something different than what she and Fudge had planned.

Dora looked on worried. She had no fear that Melania was more than capable of taking down their cousin but she knew the ramifications of the win would not be enjoyable.

Flitwick watched with gleaming eyes at the talent before him even as certain things made him frown and consider.

Neville could only stare at the talent that was Melania Black and swore to himself to train harder. His brother had promised someone would be here who was as good as he was. Neville now realised that Melania was even better than Harry had been last year.

Ron glared daggers at the two Slytherins and couldn't wait until they both Avada'd each other.

Hermione marvelled at the show. If Snape's test had distracted her from her own potion, Melania's words about a student and teacher simply blew her away. She could see the proof of the girl's talents in front of her as well as the difference between her and Malfoy. The dark-haired girl moved like water, flowing in a spectacular dance here and there but never where her opponent's spell ended up being. Malfoy was a storm, a raging force of nature that wanted to destroy everything in front of him. Hermione's structured mind knew who would win even as she chewed on her lower lip, wondering what Harry's style would be like.

A hidden pair of eyes watched and narrowed in distaste at what they saw. That Draco Malfoy was caught up with Tom Riddle was no question. Instead the doubt remained on Melania Black. Just how did she gain such talents? Whose side was she really on? And most importantly, what had she done with Harry Potter?

Melania was in a much better state physically than Draco. The constant lessons with Bellatrix had been exactly how the Lady Black had believed them to be; the twisted woman humiliating and battering the Malfoy Scion into the ground and only then providing any actual teaching. As such it was he who was the one to fall back on shielding spells. Melania instantly stopped her dodging and stood facing him, twisting her body or stepping aside of a spell while still staying in the same relative space in order to conserve energy.

She had gradually been increasing the power of her spells. A little at a time but it meant that Malfoy was having to put more of his own magic into the shield in front of him rather than his follow-up attacks. Melania decided that it was time to end the duel and used a very familiar dirty trick.

" _Reducto. Reducto. Reducto. Reducto. Reducto. Stupefy!"_

The six-point attack was a devastating piece of magic against any shield if pulled off correctly. The overpowered Reductos slammed into the corners of Malfoy's shield, causing it to flash brightly in front of the boy. It spiderwebbed from each corner, the momentary fracturing causing a weakness in the very centre of the shield that was exploited by the very last Reducto. The shield shattered and the overpowered Stupefy sent Malfoy flying.

Melania had spun as she finished casting so that her back was to Malfoy before the second Reducto had even made contact with his shield. She had given herself to her moment and her magic enough that it called forth Loki and for a brief moment her eyes took on the wolf's reflective nature. She was ruthless in pulling the animal under control and took deep breaths before turning to make her way over to her fallen opponent. The only sound in the room being her heavy breathing as everyone continued to watch.

The end of the duel had seen a massive intake of breath with many realising why their teaching hadn't seen it necessary to put Melania in the duels.

Melania knelt down and softly enervated Malfoy. His eyes sprung open and there was wild panic in them as they frantically searched for a Black that wasn't there. The moment they focused on Melania, they blanked over with his Occlumency shields and she sighed.

"You're good, Draco," she admitted to her cousin, letting him see the truth in her eyes. "Could be great. But she's no teacher."

The class ended not long after and the students looked to get to their next class. It was lucky for the Slytherins that they had Charms so they knew exactly where their Professor was. Said Professor called out to Melania before she could leave the DADA room and her Slytherin friends stepped a respectful distance back to give them privacy.

"Duelling Master Flitwick," she bowed her head to him in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you."

"And you, Miss Black," he mirrored the move and then covered the air around them with a blanket of thick magic to keep people from overhearing or even being able to lip-read.

"Your victory move today," he said, immediately getting to the point. "Powerful, brilliant, but your casting was overly exaggerated and the flourish at the end wasn't needed. None of which relate to your fighting style up to that point."

Not to mention it was the same move he had done on Harry multiple times.

She sighed. There was no way he wouldn't have caught the change in her style and she couldn't find it in her to not give a truthful answer to a man she respected as much as he.

"At some point in the near future, that duel will be seen by the people training my cousin," she admitted and Flitwick's eyes widened in understanding. "I needed them to focus on my need to show-boat. A trait that I _obviously_ picked up from my father."

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Miss Black," Flitwick said after considering her words and the heavy sarcasm involved. "How do you know they won't see it as a deliberate act like I did?"

"Hubris, Professor," she answered, easily, with a shrug. "They simply won't consider their initial judgements to be wrong."

"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," he admitted with a frown. He hated it in fact but the damage was already done. "Yet your logic is sound. Please be careful, Miss Black."

A slash of his wand caused the privacy bubble to pop and he walked away without a second glance. Melania was thinking over the interaction when an annoying voice announced an even more annoying presence.

"A wonderful duel, Miss Black," Headmaster Dumbledore declared as he dropped whatever charm he used to stay hidden. "I'm glad I was able to see it."

"I didn't notice you were there, sir," she accused, turning to face the man as her Slytherin friends moved up behind her. A frown marred the bearded face at the movement.

"It's amazing how little people see when their focus is elsewhere," he said cryptically. _And when you're disillusioned,_ she mentally added. "Now that we've had the fortune to run into each other, I feel I must ask something of you."

"Sir?"

"Where is Harry Potter?" The steel in the question had an undercurrent of a threat as he glared at Melania. She felt a brush against her mental shields than quickly disappeared when he realised she was protected. "I know he is no longer staying with your aunt and uncle."

"You shouldn't have known that much," she told him with steel of her own. The idea of the man creeping around Andi and uncle Ted's home had her hackles raising and she made a mental note to reinvest in their wards. "As for his current location, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Only Harry can tell you where Harry is."

Dumbledore's eyes widened at the hint of a Fidelius being used and its Secret-Keeper being behind its magic. That simply wouldn't do at all.

"Then I must insist you get a message to him. It is imperative he and I sit down to discuss things. Important things."

"Are you able to expand on what those things are, sir?" She asked with false sweetness, fully expecting the answer that was given.

"Alas no."

"Then alas, I can't help you. His safety trumps any random conversations you might have for him. Have a good day, Headmaster."

She turned and walked away, the Slytherin group giving Dumbledore glares before following. His anger rose but with it came fear. Melania Black's influence over the House of Snakes was growing quickly and he remembered another, long ago, who commanded such loyalty.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Charms was as fun as always and she came away from it hoping that the talented Head of Ravenclaw didn't retire anytime soon. The group of Grey Slytherins were talking softly as they made their way to dinner where they came across animated Gryffindors talking about their new DADA teacher.

"I tell you, I'd love to get my hands on her," the annoying voice of Cormac McLaggen announced, loudly. She could practically feel the sexist leer dripping of the words and the group around the prat laughed like hyenas. Her anger spiked when she saw the tell-tale hair of Ron Weasley. "I'd soon convince her do so some shifting for me. I'd make those lovely melons of hers..."

The Gryffindors never found out what the arrogant boy would do with Dora's melons. The moment Melania realised who he was talking about was the instant she saw red.

"McLaggen!" She shouted and the foul boy turned while his hands were still in front of his chest.

He didn't even have a chance to wonder why she was calling him before she stepped forward and slammed her dragon-hide boot hard between his legs. To those looking it appeared as though she had lifted him off the ground by the force of the kick. The air was filled with the eye-watering sound of something _crunch_ and then the boy dropped to his knees, hands desperately cupping his damaged organ. Melania's wand was instantly pressed into the hard spot between the boys eyes and her eyes promised death.

"If I ever hear you saying such things again," she snarled, and McLaggen whimpered as the wand's tip heated up from her rage. The two opposing Houses had shifted around them, wands drawn and the entire situation was one idiot away from exploding. "You even look at her funny and I'll turn your balls into a set of earrings."

"Fifty points from Slytherin! Detention with Filch!" Ron screamed at her, although it was telling the boy had quickly stepped away once it was clear who she was.

"Have. I. Made. Myself. Clear?"

"Two-hundred points from Slytherin! A thousand points from Slytherin!"

"Weasley," the powerful voice of Snape called over the idiot's shouting as the Gryffindor continued to take more points from the House he hated above all. "What are you doing, you imbecilic excuse for a prefect?"

"She attacked us without provocation!" Ron shouted before he realised who it was he was talking to.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor for lack of respect to a teacher, Weasley," Snape sneered, completely unimpressed by the drivel and spittle the boy was spewing. The Potions Master sighed when he caught sight of Melania and her wand still pressed hard to the whimpering McLaggen's forehead. A small puff of smoke was rising up from the contact and with it came the scent of burning flesh. "Miss Black, what are you doing with that foolish boy?"

"He made inappropriate and disgusting comments about a teacher, Professor," she calmly explained as though there wasn't murder in her eyes. It didn't take a genius like Snape to work out which teacher. "Suggestions of forcing himself upon the teacher were also raised, sir."

Snape looked at the crying boy like he was something Neville had cooked up in first year.

"A hundred points from Gryffindor, McLaggen, and two weeks worth of detentions with me. Congratulations, you've now put your House in the negative," he snapped and bets would be made on whether the man's threat of turning a student into potions ingredients would finally be realised. The wild and insane grin Melania gave her prey was far too Bellatrix like for the Professor's comfort but he pushed those worries to the side. "And you, Miss Black. That is no way to treat such a wonderful wand. An hour with Professor McGonagall later today once I talk with her."

"Of course, sir," she answered without blinking. McLaggen couldn't take it any more and fainted dead away. Only then did Melania put her wand away and look at her Head of House. "And I apologise for disrespecting my wand, Professor. Thank you for pointing it out to me."

"You're welcome, Miss Black," Snape replied with another sneer towards the spluttering Ron. "Problems, Weasley?"

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Snape woke McLaggen up, had him sent to the Hospital Wing, and was then forced to shepherd the opposing students into the Great Hall. Curious eyes watched the Head of Slytherin stand at the entrance and glare his own Snakes and the Lions to their separate tables before stalking his way to the teacher's table. Minerva McGonagall waited until her counterpart had sat and dished out his meal before starting her interrogation.

"Problems, Severus?" she hadn't missed the way Gryffindors points had vanished and black stones replaced them to indicate negative numbers.

"Weasley is an imbecile and McLaggen may not survive the year," he drawled, cutting into a piece of stake with more force than finesse. "The dunderhead attempted to abuse his position as Prefect while the idiot serves two weeks detention with myself."

"The first day of class?" The Scotswoman's eyes widened at the implications. She knew that regardless of her Lions' opinions on the man's attitude, he usually took some time to build up to the type of punishment he was speaking of.

"From what I can infer," Snape said, wiping juices from the corner of his mouth. "Your foolish seventh year made comments about our new colleagues' abilities."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Dora sighed from where she further down the table. "I heard it as a student and I hear it at the DMLE too."

"Yes, well," the Potions Master smirked at the Metamorphmagus. "Here and now you have the protection of young Miss Black. I believe her boots made quite the _impression_ on McLaggen's thinking parts."

"Oh, Morgana!" Dora sighed, burying her head in her hands at the image presented. She hadn't missed the storm cloud hovering over The Black's head as she stormed into the Great Hall, nor the evil glares sent towards a group of Gryffindors. Dora had expected the comments but had forgotten to warn Melania.

"And what is Miss Black's punishment?" Dumbledore butted in from his throne and there was an eager gleam in his eye for the answer.

"An hour this evening speaking to Minerva about her loss of control," Snape answered, going back to his meal as though the discussion was over. The woman in question gaped at him for passing over punishment of one of his Snakes, Dora's head snapped up in shock at the lax detention, while Dumbledore frowned.

"I do not see Mister McLaggen here, Severus, so I can only assume the poor boy is in the Hospital Wing," the man frowned when Snape's nod was almost gleeful. "Do you not think something more should be done after such an attack on a fellow student?"

"What I think, Headmaster, is that the girl is Lady Black, is no doubt a rather dangerous Animagus considering her father's legacy, and came across a group of young men making entirely inappropriate comments about a teacher, a woman of her own House and someone she cares for immensely."

While the majority of the staff were taken aback by the sheer emotion in Snape's words, to Dumbledore it was a sign of further loss of control to have his personal spy turn on him.

"It is my belief that Minerva is the absolute ideal person for Miss Black to speak to concerning all of those issues given her own history," something the woman's close friend Flitwick could only agree with. He knew the difficulties a young McGonagall had suffered as a student. "However, I must warn everyone to keep an eye on Mister Weasley the Incompetent. My Snakes will not tolerate any abuse of his power, and that goes triple for Miss Black."

Severus Snape returned to his meal and the staff could only stare at the dark-dressed man as though they had never seen him before. He didn't care as he let his eyes drift over the slowly calming girl he had just been talking about. The more he watched, the more his suspicions grew and he would do his best to make he made no more mistakes when it came to Lily.

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oOoOo

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Dinner was winding down and Melania decided to see McGonagall sooner rather than later. She had seen the talk between the teachers and guessed by Dora's reaction what the subject had been about. She turned her intense gaze to the blonde beside her and slid a piece of parchment across the small space between them.

"Can you get those names to the Room for when I'm done with my detention?" Her voice was low so not to catch the attention of those always ready to listen.

Daphne arched an eyebrow and subtly lifted the crease. The other eyebrow joined its companion at the names she read. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Daphne slid the piece to Blaise whose eyes widened at what was being asked. The dark-skinned Italian looked thoughtful and then nodded, immediately turning to his sister. "Concepta, you'll be escorting our little Lady to McGonagall."

The seventh year girl turned from her conversation with Sadie Baldock and the two siblings shared a moment of silent communication. Melania had seen the Weasley twins do the same more times than she could count but the Zabinis somehow came across as far more refined in their execution. The girl nodded once and then gave Melania and stunning smile.

"It shall be my pleasure, streghetta mia," the older girl purred and Melania forcefully pushed aside her body's reaction to the sensual tone. She cursed Lord Lestrange's warning and quickly turned away from the gorgeous Italian, a move that only made the Zabinis laugh.

While Blaise Zabini was a notorious flirt and had been a free-spirit with his attentions until being caught by Tracey the previous year, Concepta was a sensual dream drifting through the minds of many Hogwarts students. She constantly looked as though she had just stepped off a fashion runway and it was only her playful nature that kept most of the female population from being driven insane by jealousy. That and it was a well-known secret she preferred the curvier sex.

Melania knew Fleur would be laughing at her if her friend had been there. The thought of the Veela snapped out of the daze Concepta's voice had put her in and she suddenly realised that the girl had her own type of allure. The Lady Black turned back to the Italian beauty, stared deep into her dark eyes and smirked.

"Only in your dreams, Concepta," she threw some of her own magic into the words. "There's a Veela ahead of you and she's not even at the top of my list."

A tension built up between up that was a pale copy of what Melania felt when she looked into Dora's eyes. Her smirk grew when Concepta broke the contact and threw her head back in a sensual laugh that had many shuddering as it slid along their spines.

"I like you!" She declared and turned back to her friend as though nothing more needed to be said. The rest of the table merely stared as they realised Melania had seemingly conquered both Zabinis.

She looked to Blaise who could only gape in shock. His jaw was working but no sound was made and it fell to Tracey close it with two dainty fingers.

"I think you broke my boyfriend," the girl pouted. The image was ruined by the giggle that followed and it set the rest of the table off. The Great Hall was filled with the laughter of Slytherins and many there looked on in pure shock at the sound.

Melania merely shook her head and made to leave after once again getting confirmation from the others over the list. Concepta and Baldock saw her movements and rose to fall into a natural step beside her. The trio of beauties were silent for part of the journey until the tall Italian threw up some hasty privacy wards.

"You know what I am," she announced without any fanfare and Melania raised her eyebrows at the nervousness in the girls' voice.

"An Italian Slytherin who is as much a flirt as her brother?"

Baldock giggled. The brunette was almost as short as Melania with more 'Girl Next Door' looks that kept the majority of the attention at others. She was Concepta's best friend, lover, confidante and as quick with her wand as she was with a joke. Apparently the other witch wasn't as impressed with Melania's humour.

"You're a true part-Veela," Melania sighed when it became obvious a real answer was required. "A woman born to a man with Veela genes. You have your own Allure that's both more and less than a pure Veela's is."

"More and less?" Concepta frowned and Melania slipped into the explanation that Fleur had given her.

"A Veela's Allure brings out feelings regardless of whether they're there or not, your type of Allure can only affect what is or could be. It's more subtle as well. Wait, you haven't actually been able to talk to a Veela, have you?"

The Italian didn't reply, she merely kept staring ahead as they approached the Transfiguration classroom. Melania had thoughts of how difficult it had to have been for the other girl and grimaced at the image.

"I'll talk to my friend," she promised. "She's looking to visit during Hogsmeade weekends so the two of you can meet."

"You'd do that?" Concepta asked and there was the barest hint of eagerness in the Slytherin's voice. Baldock looked at Melania as though she had offered her friend the treasures of Atlantis, while also palming her wand in threat if Melania was stringing the Italian along.

"Veelas take in those of their blood," she explained with one hand on the handle of McGonagall's office. Both girls had lowered their masks in order to see the truth in the other's eyes. "They mentor all those who are born of Veela blood. Of course, you hurt her and I'll kill you myself."

Concepta smirked at that even with true relief showing in her intense gaze. The two girls nodded to each other and Melania entered the office to leave the Concepta and Baldock waiting. The brunette giving her lover's hand a squeeze of support.

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oOoOo


	31. Yes Sir, No Sir, Three Bags Full Sir

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: REREAD CHAPTER 30!**

 **No, seriously, it has an extra 4,000 words, a brand new scene and the start of this chapter won't make any sense!**

 **AN: Reread it? Good. Welcome back and thank you for your (mostly) patient wait for more Son of Potter, Daughter of Black chapters. I initially took a little time off writing this so that my other works wouldn't get left behind only for life and illness to keep me away from it for longer than I wanted. I've also gone through previous chapters to clean up the writing a little more and fix the really strange Moony/Mooney typo I apparently picked up from somewhere. I will be focusing on this and look to get back to my weekly/bi-weekly update schedule.**

 **warrof** **\- Thanks for the catch. I don't consider Ron OOC considering his deep-rooted hate for anything Slytherin. Consider the scene; a snake has just attacked a Gryffindor, the same girl he has been disliking for the entire summer. He's merely reacting and will continue to react to Melania being around and Harry not.**

 **JannaKalderash - I've never considered Jordan for our resident Bookworm but that's a good match. I may look to do it in one of my stories.**

 **Lulu Olufemi - Just because Ron deducted all those points doesn't mean they were removed. There are safeguards in place to avoid Prefect** **abuse of power.**

 **Lady Evans Potter - Thank you and I do plan on more politics. This is a difficult story to write in regards to balancing the action and political shifts so I hope the battle for Slytherin King/Queen is a good substitute.**

 **bigtomato - You might be happy to know there's going to be a fair amount of Fleur flirting going on.**

 **And finally. The entire Slytherin House politics involving Kings, Queens, Courts and the middle seat are inspired by E4mj's Travel Secrets. Well worth the read, inspiration only, and I hope to take the idea in my own direction.**

 **Tatieyana - The Wand is Harry's and as such is only used as Melania's second right now. Harry will make a comback at some point where the Aspen is then used as the primary wand.**

* * *

Yes Sir, No Sir, Three Bags Full, Sir

 _4th September, 1995 – McGonagall's Office_

"Tell me, Miss Black, do you know why you're here?" the stern Transfiguration Professor asked the moment Melania was sitting in the very uncomfortable chair.

"I put a Gryffindor in the Hospital Wing," she answered, unable to stop a twitch of her lip. Though whether it was to smirk or snarl was unsure.

"No," McGonagall sighed, leaning forward to rest her arms on the desk that separated them. "But that _should_ have landed you in detention. Can you tell me why it didn't?"

"Well Weasley would immediately say it's because of who my Head of House is," and this time there was a definite baring of the teeth. "But I'd like to think it was because of what that piece of crap was spewing."

The mature woman sighed again and for a moment there was a drop of her head. The action surprised Melania who felt relieved when McGonagall leaned back in her chair, tapped a pattern out on the edge of the desk with her fingertips, and gave her the narrowed-lipped glare she was familiar with. The Professor seemed to be considering what to say next. Melania stared back without blinking and there was a sense of judgement in her own glare.

"Did you know that people believed something was going on between young Nymphadora and Charlie Weasley?"

McGonagall heard a soft growl and both of Melania's hands clenched at the words. The young girl looked murderous and quite willing to march all the way to Romania to force-feed said boy to his own dragons.

"There wasn't," Minerva continued, quickly. _Thank you, Severus,_ she thought. There was the proof that the young woman in front of her was having her instincts completely driven by her Animagus. "I had asked Mister Weasley to watch over Nymphadora and keep Gryffindor from falling into any unsavoury attitudes towards her being a Metamorphmagus."

The tension in Melania's body bled away as the Head of Gryffindor continued and the madness disappeared from her laurel eyes. She made a quiet promise to send the Dragon Handler something special for looking after her Dora.

"What type of canine are you, Miss Black? Knowing your father it isn't going to be something as simple as a common house dog."

"Dire wolf, Professor," Melania told her, sighing heavily as the reason behind the question smacked her into thinking straight. McGonagall's eyebrows raised at the species.

"Sage," the woman called out and an elf immediately popped in to stand at attention.

"What can Sage bes doing for Professor Kitty?"

"Thank you for your prompt response, Sage," Minerva smiled at the small being who swelled with pride at the attention. "Can you tell me if Hogwarts has any books on dire wolves?"

The elf tilted her head to the side and appeared to be listening to the music of Hogwarts. The elf's large eyes regained their lost focus a few moments later.

"Yes, Professor Kitty, Hogwarts bes having many books mentioning dire wolves. School bes having two books only about them too."

"Good," Minerva nodded with a twist of the lips that was as much a smile as she allowed herself. She had been worried that there wouldn't be anything worthwhile for the young woman in obvious need. "I would like both of those books for Miss Black here."

A pop had Sage vanish only to return with two surprisingly hefty tomes that the elf handed to Melania. The Lady Black took them and gave McGonagall a wide-eyed look. "You're saying my form is affecting me already?"

"Yes," Minerva nodded, happy that Sirius had warned his daughter about the dangers. "Regardless of your romantic feelings for Nymphadora, she is your family. She is, to use your wolf's thinking, pack. Mister McLaggen's lack of respect to a member of your pack was dealt with in a way that warns anyone else off."

"Not like I wouldn't do it again," Melania grumbled, only to be surprised when McGonagall smirked.

"I have two younger brothers, Miss Black," she explained. "Two brothers who absolutely refused to see their older sister be spoken to by interested young men. They would have done much worse if they had heard someone use vulgar speech about me.

"But this is your only let-off, Miss Black," the understanding woman quickly morphed into the stern Deputy Headmistress that all students knew and Melania listened intently. "You have those books. Study them and give me a detailed report on your animal's personality, how it interacts within its familial unit and how all of this relates to your personality and how you see those around you. You are to deliver that report by this time next week. I will not have you losing control and giving in to your animal's baser instincts, have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," and Melania wondered just how many times she'd be asked that very question by a stern teacher.

"Good. And, Miss Black, I _will_ be having stern words with all my Gryffindors over their attitude towards Professor Tonks-Black. You have my word."

"Thank you, Professor," she offered with true feeling. Melania knew the Hufflepuffs would support their Alumni and that Flitwick wouldn't stand for any more issues from his Ravenclaws. The nastier element of the Snape Pit would hate Dora over her blood status more than her magical gift so that only left the Lions to keep in line. She seriously hoped that the loud-mouths learned their lesson.

McGonagall took her time assessing Melania to make sure the girl had taken in her words and then nodded to the door. The Lady Black didn't need to be told twice. She slipped the books into her bag and was out of the Deputy Headmistress' office as quick any Marauder might have been. Melania never saw the warm smile the woman gave her retreating back.

"Well that didn't seem so bad," Baldock said in her soft voice as the trio moved quickly through the halls. The girls had followed the actions of Tracey and Daphne by dropping back a half-step in order for Melania to take the lead. The laurel-eyed girl still hadn't come to a conclusion on her feelings of that yet.

"She wanted to make sure I understood what would happen if I my boot slipped between McLaggen's legs again," the words causing both older girls to snort their amusement.

Melania's stride went from casual to determined as they rose through the levels until she was all but marching by the time they passed Flitwick's office and heading towards a familiar empty corridor.

There were a fair amount of bodies waiting for the trio and any who looked into Melania's eyes as she approached knew the strength of the girl's will. There was an unforgiving steel in the orbs' depths and a set to her jaw that promised pain to those who stood in her path. It was the first time for many to see such a sight and those whose parents spoke reverently about the Dark Lord's aura couldn't help but see similarities.

The group of Slytherins waiting for Melania was almost double-figures. Seventh-years Adrian Pucey and Carl Montague, the same two who had mediated between Melania and Draco their first night, looked protectively over the other students and their sterns faces made it clear they weren't going to allow Melania any funny business. The Carrow Twins, Hestia and Flora, were standing with Darius Urquart and the boy who was acting as his cousin. She had to wonder if they knew the truth about 'Reginald Urquart' given how close both sixth years stood with the secret Lestrange Scion. Daphne was standing beside her younger sister, Astoria, while Tracey and Blaise Zabini spoke softly to the fourth years Cameron Harper and Rachel Newbourne. Theo Nott and Tabitha Brainbridge looked decidedly uncomfortable on the fringes of the crowd.

Melania stalked up to Blaise, raised an imperial eyebrow, and used her most Pure-blood voice, "I don't recall this many names on my list."

"I knew they'd want to hear what you had to say," the flirt shrugged, completely unrepentant in throwing her in the deep end. The spark in his dark eyes told her that it was also a test and she cursed the natural instincts of Slytherins.

Melania's thoughts were derailed as she sensed her familiar close by and turned to see the surprising quartet of Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott walking towards them. Muninn had decided that it was Susan's hair that would nest it much to the crimson-headed girl's obvious disagreement. What made Melania almost laugh was the very obvious pout and longing looks Luna kept giving the raven as though wishing it was _her_ hair that had been chosen. Knowing Luna, she was sure she was right. Just like she guessed that Muninn had deliberately done it to tease the blonde.

"Well isn't this a surprise," Melania said in order to break the ice, eyeing her far too proud familiar. "I doubt the four of you simply decided to come for a stroll."

"Luna said we were supposed to be here," Neville explained, slightly stepping between his girlfriend and the large pack of Slytherins. Said girlfriend merely gave Melania a wide-eyed wiggle of the fingers to signal saying hello.

"I was raven-napped," Susan grumbled with an upward glare and scowl. "Your ruddy bird swooped out of nowhere and demanded I find Luna."

"And I was nosey," Hannah announced, looking torn between laughter at her best friend's predicament and unease at what the four had walked in on.

Melania sighed and stared at Muninn. Those on the seventh floor corridor were shocked as the witch and raven fell into a silent conversation, both having their eyes softly glow during the entire exchange. No one dared speak and the heavy silence was eventually broken by an unimpressed sniff.

"Well it looks like your aunt gets her wish starting this evening," she announced with a sigh, turning towards the blank wall that hid the Room of Requirement. "Come my soon-to-be-sister-cousin, we're about to change the world."

The elongated title brought Susan up sharp and she gapped at Melania's back, obviously not having worked out that Amelia and Sirius' wedding would bring her closer to the Lady Black. She was snapped out of her daze by the avian chuckles coming from her hair.

"Shut it, you," she grumbled to the raven much to Hannah's amusement.

The door that materialised was nondescript, especially considering Melania's declaration, and the large group of students were surprised at how sparse the room was that Melania had created. She had taken the same attitude the goblins had about negotiations so that there was only a ring of chairs taking up the centre of the room with another door leading off to a smaller room. Melania immediately strode to the chair that faced the Room's entrance and sat, Muninn settling on her shoulder the instant she was seated to set a very powerful image.

The group looked uncomfortable as they shuffled into random seats. Daphne and Concepta were at Melania's left and right respectively while Neville and the non Slytherins ended up facing her. She took a single steady breath and began what she hoped would be the beginning of a change in their society.

"I want to thank you all for being here, even those of you who were dragged against your will," that caused a few smirks and chuckles but most kept their blank masks firm. She pointed to the other door. "That door there is for those of you who need to speak to me away one-on-one about anything that you want held private.

"This would be so much easier if you were all Slytherins," she quietly grumbled and those closest nodded, knowing she was thinking of the situation between herself and Draco. "Let me tell you the tale of four men. Arcturus Black, third of that name, would grow up to see witness what the Muggles called the War to End All Wars. Twenty-one years later and he would fight in one that was even worse in order to protect his family. A man who many would consider his equal and opposite was Charlus Potter, who loved his younger brother enough that he strode across the blooded grounds of Europe to face down Grindelwald forces in order to keep the Dark Lord from shedding Fleamont Potter's blood."

The room held its breath as Melania spoke. These were immortal men she talked of. Giants striding through politics and battle alike in the singular desire to shape and change the world around them. Names passed down in hushed whispers in case speaking them aloud would bring them back.

"Abraxas Malfoy, a Slytherin's Slytherin, who cared nought for blood status but rather the power of your wand or the seduction of your words. The Malfoy's contacts across Europe ensured Magicals and Muggles alike avoided the death coming to them and that those fighting against evil never lacked for what they needed."

Melania had been looking into the eyes of each student there and those who dared match her gaze felt their souls were being weighed by the very men who she spoke of. It was the fourth name who had sent reams of parchment detailing his own history and that of his friends in order for Melania to learn and she had devoured every detail.

"And finally, Augustine Lestrange," she spoke the name while locking eyes with Neville. The boy tensed but she refused to let him look away even as she caught 'Reginald's' flinch. "Whose family ties of friendship with the Potters stretches back to the Founders' Era. Augustine Lestrange who still carries the wound he received as he and his close friend Markus Bones stood back-to-back against Grindelwald's army of Inferi and demons. Those two, with their knowledge of the arcane and esoteric, ripped apart and repaired the fabric of reality in order for countless innocent lives to be saved.

"The Four Kings and their allies fought, bled and killed for their people and did it all over again in politics when the war was over. They did it because it was the right thing to do," she finally broke away from Neville who immediately ducked his head, having his misconceptions about the very name _Lestrange_ brutally destroyed. Beside him Susan cried silent tears to the grandfather she never knew but had heard so much about from her aunt. "And then the evil that they had fought their entire lives sprung up in their own country and stabbed them in the back."

Melania didn't notice that the Grey Ghost and Bloody Baron had appeared behind her. The two lovers from time forgotten were silent sentries as she moved onto more current issues.

"A madman appeared who people feared more than Grindelwald himself. How many Light families fell to the curses of the madman and his dogs? How decimated have the Greys become, now called Blood Traitors, because they refused to kiss the robes of an illegitimate bastard," Melania's words sent ripples around the circle of Slytherins, with those in green and silver sharing glances as though to see how the others would react to the words. "And how many Dark families have been victimised by both sides because the Light blindly attacked back and the evil demanded their souls?

"I am Lady Melania Black, blood-born great-granddaughter of Arcturus Black, magic-sworn grand god-daughter of Charlus Potter," eyes widened at the proclamation and then further as Melania's magic responded to the passion that burned furiously in her veins. She looked immediately to Theo as she spoke her next words, remembering the name of one of those at Riddle's resurrection. "I say no more shall the sins of the father be put upon the shoulders of the son. You are not a Death Eater by blood but by action."

Theo glanced towards the Carrows and the three shared a glimmer of hope beneath their masks.

"If a Malfoy walks through that door proclaiming the desire to avoid being branded like an animal then I shall welcome them," she turned back to Neville and he gulped painfully at her look. It was ten times worse than when she promised retribution if he misused the spell she had shown him. "If the child of Bellatrix Lestrange asks for sanctuary then I shall provide it as long as they understand she dies."

The Gryffindor was thrown back to his talk before the Third Task where Harry questioned his immediate reaction to Andromeda Tonks-Black. His rage at what happened to his parents was finally being made to see sanity and he nodded once, knowing Melania would make him hurt if he didn't.

"But if Dumbledore walks in then I will throw him and his lackeys out on their ear," she snarled, fingers digging into the arms of her chair. Muninn cawed a terrible sound to show her own opinion of the man. "Because whether you are of the Light, the Grey, or the Dark, you are not another's pawn to be used as he sees fit. We are not spies to use, we are not bait to draw out the one who calls himself a Dark Lord, nor are we evil simply because the magic we use is not to his liking."

This caught their attention, especially Susan who knew the depths of her family's hidden magic. The House of Bones was rooted in Death and Soul Magic, bettered only by the legendary Peverells. Their magic was both feared and respected even as it came with a heavy price. She, herself, had never gone near the Bones Grimoire, she had always felt shame at what her family was capable of. Melania's speech lit a spark in her that would change that attitude.

"The Four Kings were brought down by force and betrayal," Melania told them without going into details. 'Reginald' nodded sharply, knowing the truth behind the three men's deaths. "And our country has fractured ever since. I say it's time for a new set of names to take their place.

"Perhaps the Lovegoods, keeper of so many Old Rituals. Or the Greengrasses, smooth politicians with the vision to see all sides. Perhaps the Notts, who were once celebrated Battle Mages. Or could we see a Light King from House Longbottom? I believe everyone here has the potential to help drive the evil that plagues our generation back into the hell where it came from, and to move our society forward in a way that benefits all."

She came to an abrupt stop and closed her eyes as the adrenaline fled her system. Melania had planned perhaps half the words she had used in her long speech and wondered just where the rest had come from. She was leaning heavily on the mental support Muninn flooded their bond with and only opened her eyes when she heard a voice.

"Do you mean it?" One of the Carrows demanded, her twin looked ready to attack if Melania gave the wrong answer. "That you don't care who our parents are?"

"If someone is a Death Eater then they're my enemy," she warned the twins. "If they're repentant then that's different. Brother, daughter, mother, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparents, if your relative comes at me in a white mask they won't find any mercy from me. As long as you don't put on a mask, get branded or aid in their goals then I consider you nothing like your family."

Wordy but she got her point across. Melania wanted to make sure they understood she wouldn't back down from an attack. The last thing she needed was an upset child to a Death Eater coming after her for retribution.

"I'll let you all think things over," she announced, rising to head into the side room with Helena following. The Bloody Baron waved a hand and a small table of snack food appeared thanks to the Hogwarts elves. The group looked around at each other and knew they had much to think about.

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oOoOo

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"What the hell am I doing?" She moaned, running both hands through her dark hair as soon as the door closed behind her. The Grey Lady watched the girl she considered family panic and quickly stepped in.

"You are doing what you are best at, Melania," she told the frantic girl, using her sternest voice. "You've shown them the way like Godric, made sure to accept all like aunt Helga, beat their worries down with logic like mother, and the command you put on this room was exactly what uncle Sal would have done."

"I just hope the protection isn't needed," she worried. Neither had a chance to say anything more as the door opened to reveal the non Slytherin quartet.

"How did you know about granddad?" Susan asked without any preamble and Melania couldn't blame the busty girl for wanting answers.

"Lord Lestrange sent me some memories and notes when the memories were too painful or disturbing," she explained to the girl that would soon be like a sister to her. She turned hard eyes to Neville and asked the important question. "We're not going to have a problem about this, are we?"

"No, no, I guess not," the Longbottom Scion sighed, running a hand over his face in a familiar motion that Harry had seen many times the previous year. "You and Harry have been hitting it hard about not looking at everyone the same."

"Good," she nodded, giving the boy some type of smile. Helena watched silently while Luna did her best to make the ghost laugh by pulling random faces that the rest tried ignoring. "I meant what I said in there, Neville. Those three are enemies to the both of us but I won't have just anyone tarred by the same brush. Not all Blacks are the same as Bellatrix and not all Lestranges are the same as Rodolphus or Rabastan."

He nodded and then sighed again, struggling to not let his desire for revenge stop him being the man Harry and Luna believed him to be. "I know Harry would kick my arse if I did that. It's why he warned me about hearing things about you."

Melania was unable to say anything in reply.

"What about the others?" Hannah asked and she knew the girl meant them being Slytherins. "What if they don't all follow your vision."

"Then they won't be able to tell anyone," she shrugged with a mischievous grin teasing her lips. Luna broke away from the game with Helena to stare at her in a way that unnerved Melania. "I asked the Room for protection against those who weren't being honest in being here. They won't remember where in the castle the meeting was nor the details of my talk. They'll merely be able to give a general breakdown which matches my actions in the Wizengamot anyway."

Three jaws fell in complete surprise at the sneakiness of her actions while the blonde's eyes narrowed only to widen and then Luna beamed the same smile she had the Welcoming Feast.

"Enjoy your evening stroking the snakes," she announced, grabbing Neville's hand to pull him out of the room. The Hufflepuffs were red at the double meaning while Melania lifted an eyebrow at what she suspected was a deliberate tease. "Don't do anything Harry wouldn't do."

Neville looked pleadingly at the two Puffs who said a quick goodbye and followed in order to 'rescue' the lone Gryffindor. Melania suspected it was more to laugh at the serious boy being with the flighty pixie. Almost instantly they were replaced by the two Urquarts.

Darius Urquart was a large boy in a similar build to Crabbe and Goyle but with dark blue eyes that held more intelligence than either of Malfoy's goons. Melania actually thought it held more than Lord Lestrange gave him credit for. The other boy was slimmer but no less imposing with an athletic build. He moved like a dancer and she had no doubts Lord Lestrange had taught his grandson how to fight.

The two locked eyes and then 'Reginald Urquart' closed his eyes to focus. His bone structure shifted, bones lifting while cheeks narrowed until he had the Mediterranean features the Lestranges bore even after so centuries of living in Britain.

"Not a glamour," was the first thing that Melania could think of saying. She'd seen enough glamours as Harry to tell when one was being taken off and what she had seen was much more like a weak Metamorphmagus shift. Apparently Arcturus Charlus Lestrange read the thought.

"A forced metamorph shift," he smirked, his voice what she imagined his grandfather's would have been like at the same age. "Tied to my magic and command so that it can't come off by accident."

"Smart," she nodded and held out a hand. "Hello Arcturus, I'm Melania Black."

Arcturus Lestrange laughed and took the offered limb to kiss her knuckles in the same way his grandfather had taught him.

"If there was ever an introduction that wasn't need, my lady, that was it," he smirked, the look vanishing as quickly as it came. "I'm not used to being called Arcturus any more."

"You're named after my great-grandfather and magical grandfather with your cover being my uncle's name," she crossed her arms and shrugged. "Whatever you want to call yourself is fine by me."

"You deliberately said that about Bellatrix to make sure Longbottom behaved, didn't you?" The real Urquart accused and she nodded, liking the protective nature the boy showed to the Lestrange Scion.

"I did," she admitted. "Whether the truth is revealed now or post-Hogwarts I wanted him to see beyond what happened to his parents. Augustine is too just a man for such unworthy tarnishing and I suspect you'll be the same."

"'Just', not good?" Arcturus smirked with a questioning look that had her reply with her own twist of the lips.

"All Four Kings were just rather than good. People sometimes need to remember there's a difference."

Arcturus nodded and then closed his eyes once more to reapply the magic that hid his features. Even the eye colour had subtle differences when the opened and the voice certainly didn't suit him after the smoothness from earlier.

"Grandfather was right," he said with a chuckle as the two made to leave. "I need to step up if I want to keep it from being Four Queens from now on."

Melania blinked at the statement and the two Urquarts were gone before she could come up with a reply.

"You have allies in those two," Helena announced in her unique way. She had admitted once that she'd been touched with the Sight just enough to understand why Rowena had been so difficult to get close to and Melania considered the current tone as her gift manifesting through her death. "The hidden boy will support you when it is needed."

She was kept from replying by the Bloody Baron drifting through the wall.

"The group await you, Lady Black," he announced in his deep voice. She knew he wasn't one for small talk and simply gave a sharp nod before taking a cleansing breath. The determined and calm Melania Black who walked into the main room was nothing like the nervous girl who was shaking on the inside.

"You pushed the limits tonight, Black," Adrian Pucey immediately pointed out as soon as she showed. "But you managed to say everything without spilling Slytherin secrets to outsiders and that gets you credit."

She didn't respond. None of the group had dispersed but she knew that didn't mean they were all on her side.

"But this evening wasn't just about out there, was it," Montague added. The two worked well together and if there were ever joint Slytherin Kings it would have been them. "There hasn't been a Grey Queen of Slytherin in a long time, Black. Do you know why?"

"A Dark King or Queen ends up ruling by fear and power as much as their intelligence, a Grey must know how to truly balance all areas inside and outside of our House," she explained it the way Narcissa had. Her aunt had attempted a Grey ruling but had been held back by the control loving Lucius.

"And? I know you know the rest," Pucey pushed with a smirk that she matched.

"And the Grey must have the magic to match their ruling. A King or Queen with the wrong magic can't rule because they're too busy fighting their own instincts."

"We are the last of Queen Farley's Court," Montague declared and the watching Slytherin's stood tall as a Decree was about to be made. Gemma Farley had the brains to get in touch with Narcissa for guidance in becoming as Grey a Slytherin Queen as the girl could considering her magical leanings and graduated two summers ago. "And by the last powers given to us by the Slytherin Queen we declare the throne open."

There was no flash of magic. The words themselves held no power beyond those of social ritual. A Court without their King or Queen could only act as advisors and elders to Slytherin House until someone stepped up to challenge each of the Court for the chance at the throne. It was telling that the two had not given up their positions nor been challenged the previous year by anyone in Slytherin.

That they were willing to abdicate after Melania's speech, and doing so in the Room rather than in front of the entire House, meant they were silently siding with Melania's attempts to become Queen. She now had a head-start for the position and, if the looks of the rest of the room were to be mostly believed, had a good support behind her already.

"Don't be going silent too quickly, gentlemen," she told them after bowing her thanks. "You've earned your voice when it comes to House issues."

Translation; I may want to be Queen but I'm not an idiot and won't be ignoring anything you have to tell me.

The two smirked in unison as though Melania had just proved their point and walked out of the Room. Baldock and the elder Zabini made to follow with Concepta's gaze so full of heat that Melania couldn't help her body's reaction to the lustful interest.

She only allowed herself to shiver at the look once the door closed on the part-Veela and deliberately ignored Blaise's knowing smirk.

The Carrows were next to leave with each twin giving her a firm nod of backing and then the rest slowly began to drift away until she was left with Daphne, Astoria, Tracey, Theo and Blaise. She immediately turned to the quiet Nott and held out a hand, getting a raised eyebrow in return.

"I meant it all, Theo," she swore, only to have the hand ignored. The short-haired, brown-eyed bookworm of Slytherin stared deep into her laurel eyes as though searching for a terrible truth he needed to find.

"Answer me this," he said in his soft, barely there voice. "Was he there that night?"

She didn't lower her hand as she stared back and gave him the answer he knew was there and not the one he was so desperately hoping for. "Avery immediately begged for mercy and got Crucio'd for his troubles. Malfoy kissed arse while the bastard waxed poetry over the Lestranges. Macnair got offered blood for his axe while three got told they had to do better. Crabbe, Goyle and...Nott."

The Room was deathly quiet and little Astoria had tears from the haunted look on Melania's face. Theo could only nod and then clasped her hand with both of his. "As Scion to the Noble House of Nott, I pledge loyalty and wands to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black against _all_ of its enemies."

The magic swirled around the two, sealing the oath that would throw son against father, and then Theo stalked out of the Room with his head held high, finally able to do something good with the name he had been cursed with. Melania could only flex her fingers and swallowed hard as she pushed away the dreaded memory.

"How...how did you know?" Tracey asked in a subdued voice while the Greengrass sisters hugged each other. Melania gave the only answer she could.

"Harry made sure I saw it."

.

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oOoOo

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.

 _5th September, 1995_

Melania woke from a disturbed sleep and dragged her body through a quick shower. She had pulled the memories of the previous day's events – from Snape's surprise brew all the way to Theo's pledge – and given them to Muninn to deliver to the family. She simply didn't have the words to express any of them adequately and frankly enjoyed the dulling of the memories that taking them caused. She silently made her way down to the Slytherin Common Room only to stop at the surprising sight waiting for her.

Hestia and Flora Carrow stood as though already on guard duty while Theo wore workout clothes. She had a moment of flashback when harry would find Neville and Natalia waiting for him, and sighed, shaking her head.

"I suppose you'll be joining me every morning?"

"Not dignifying that with an answer," one of the twins declared while Theo merely nodded.

"Moving to that fancy room and back each morning is going to eat into the time," the other one pointed out and Melania frowned, hating the truth in the words. "But the training rooms here won't be private enough."

"What training rooms?" She asked, Narcissa never having mentioned anything like what was being suggested. _We just assumed I'd use the Room of Requirement,_ she thought with a mental shake of the head.

"Two floors worth and a pit for challenges," the first twin answered and Melania realised she would need them to name themselves soon. "But it's too easy to be spied on unless someone is always standing guard."

"The Lady Black can fix that," the rough voice of the Blood Baron answered as he floated down from the ceiling. "The privacy wards are set with Salazar's gift, my Lady."

"Really?" She asked with a sly grin. "Well then lead the way."

The House ghost nodded and floated ahead of the four students who dutifully followed. The second twin frowned at her behind is back.

"Are you going to explain why the freaky guy likes you so much?" She asked about Baron in a Gryffindor direct manner. Melania simply shook her head and wondered if it was because of the closeness she shared with Helena.

"So are you..."

"Hestia," was the immediate answer, the girl chuckling darkly. "Most people decide to just name us without bothering to ask."

"The Weasley twins enjoy confusing people," she said, thinking aloud as they made their way up stairs hidden in a alcove. "I get the impression you and your sister enjoy your individuality as much as you do being sisters."

"How could you tell?" Flora asked from behind and Melania turned to look back at the other twin.

"Because even standing next to each other you two are different. You two are completely different people who merely share the same appearance."

She drifted off with the last part as she caught sight of the training area the Slytherins were blessed with. The twins caught each other's eye and wondered how the strange girl could know that after so little time around them.

Melania was unaware of their questions as the Bloody Baron explained all about Salazar's Parsel commands. She was grinning manically by the time the House ghost finished. She gave him a quick nod of thanks and began her run to leave the other three to quickly catch up.

She imagined the Slytherin rooms were the inspiration behind the training complex beneath Grimmauld Place. The quartet were running along the edge of a room almost as large as the Great Hall. The room itself was littered in duelling platforms, set up so that the very centre was completely clear. That was the entrance to the true Pit of Slytherin House where any disputes were laid to rest one way or the other.

Stairs and doors littered the three walls leading to various sized rooms for private spell-fire work. Melania took the other three on a ten-lap set with the last three laps at a punishing pace. Theo was barely able to last half the first of those given how he was panting before she upped the speed, and staggered back to the Common Room in order to retrieve the rest of what they were already thinking of as Melania's Court. The twins pushed on through sheer brute stubbornness and only came to a staggering halt on the penultimate lap.

Melania was grinning ear-to-ear once she finished, and the look was suspiciously wolfish when she turned it to the crowd now watching. Those looking into her eyes saw, for just a brief moment, something else shifting behind them and then it was gone.

"Well that was fun," she announced and the red scowls of the twins promised pain if they could only get their breathing stable. She did a quick headcount and nodded, liking who had shown for her morning workout. Bleary eyes and sleepy glares were the only answer she received. "Let's get you all tuned into the room."

She turned sharply and walked to the door that directly faced the entrance. Those with interest watched the way the heavy ball that weighed her hair down swung suggestively across her backside. At least some of the Slytherins were more awake by the time Melania had stopped to the door that looked like all the others.

 _{{"I claim this room as mine for as long as I am within Slytherin House,"}}_ she hissed to the raising of eyebrows and sharing of looks between her Court. The meaning of the words being what the Bloody Baron had coached her on. _{{"Only my allies may enter or see my training."}}_

The wooden door glowed a soft golden glow that morphed into a rich forest green and she nodded at the results.

"Right, you lot, let's get working."

The Court marched through the barrier and it flashed each time one crossed through. None knew that it was judging their intentions towards the one who had set the Parsel ward nor knew that they were lucky to not be Melania's enemies.

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oOoOo

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.

The training had been a brutal eye opener for even those with Death Eater parents. Melania worked herself into a frenzy, alternating between spells and knife work, and it was plan to see that she wasn't interested in taking prisoners. Most of their generation had heard of Bellatrix Lestrange and how dangerous the former Black was, and felt as though they were watching the early stages of someone just as deadly being formed.

Both Zabinis offered to have their practice blades owled when they saw her work, the other Grey students swore to get in on the training, at least to the point they felt comfortable with, while some of those with questionable families ended up showing her new spells. This caused all of her Court to think of offering their own.

The boy born Arcturus Lestrange merely watched it all with a hidden smile and thought his grandfather had never been so right in trusting in The Black.

The Court and their Queen got cleaned up and headed to breakfast as one, picking up those from the previous evening who hadn't joined in the training. As they entered the Great Hall as one the other Slytherins watched them and a rippled travelled throughout the House. Draco Malfoy's eyes widened at the sight and he swallowed hard, knowing this was another memory he would have to send home.

Albus Dumbledore was taking a drink from his goblet when one of his worse dreams appeared, causing the powerful wizard to choke on the pumpkin juice. There were three sitting on the teacher's table who understood exactly why the Headmaster reacted as he had with one pair of eyes shifting to their natural purple for a brief instant.

Melania was only partly aware of Dumbledore's reactions as she scanned the Great Hall, her blank mask firmly in place as her gaze ran over each table.

"Theo, would you mind having a word with Susan and Hannah?" she asked the quiet boy who looked a little like a deer in headlights at the request. "I want to offer them an open invitation to sit with us during meals."

Some of the Slytherins wondered what she was playing at and their frowns deepened when the girl turned to Daphne.

"Since apparently Neville prefers blondes, could you do the same while Tracey has a word with Roger?" We don't need to say anything to Luna, she'll invite herself when she wants to."

Snorts followed as the group agreed on the mischievous Lovegood. The three chosen shrugged in unison and broke off to speak to their target. Melania smirked at her choices and then made her way over to the Slytherin table.

She completely bypassed a nervous Draco holding sway at the top of the table and instead made directly for the very middle seat that would allow her the perfect view of the entire Hall. The third year sitting one beside where she was focused took one look at the intensity of Melania's gaze and scooted quickly down the table. She didn't pay the girl any attention and regally sat in what was the most important seat in the House.

The middle chair was infamous in its power over Slytherin House. A King or Queen didn't _have_ to sit in it, each one able to take their own position along the table, and usually they would hold court at the head. Only a very few would dare to claim the middle for their own, and absolutely no one took it badly when a King or Queen would pick out a different throne.

However, while there might not be any shame in a King or Queen not taking the middle chair, there certainly was an issue if it was then used to challenge for the position.

Melania had, in one morning, claimed herself the Slytherin Queen and completely undercut Malfoy's claim to the role of King. That Pucey and Montague shared a nod rather than argue the seating arrangement announced the former Court members opinions on who should be their ruler.

Her Court flowed around Melania, taking up positions as the groups natural hierarchy settled in. The rest of the Slytherins watched, silently, and wondered if there would be a return salvo from Malfoy.

The silence still hung over the table when Daphne, Tracey and her brother Roger, Susan and Hannah converged on the Slytherins. Melania sent a smirk to the cool-eyed blonde.

"Let me guess," she chuckled, darkly, to the equally amused Daphne. "Neville sends his best but declines our offer of a seat."

"He said thank you but no," she replied, taking the seat directly opposite to show her position as Second. The Carrows had taken up a seat either side of Melania as protectors. "And Luna calls you a very naught girl for having me ask."

Melania threw her head back and laughed, the sound bouncing off the Great Hall's walls as most watched in awe at what was happening beneath the snake banner. She caught the younger girl's eyes across the room and grinned when she saw Luna resting her head against Neville's arm and poking out her tongue.

"Trust Luna," she chuckled with a shake of the head before turning to the others. "Susan, Hannah, take a seat. Mister Davies, you too are welcome."

Some of the Slytherins, Malfoys group especially, looked like they wanted to argue that point but none dared. The power play in front of them was too big to go against in public. The two Hufflepuffs and the lone Ravenclaw sat with Melania never looking away from the sole boy of the visitors.

"Mister Davies, I suggest having Occlumency lessons. If you've had them before, then I _strongly_ suggest you had remedial until you're able to protect your mind," the air around Melania became chilly with the attitude and Tracey swallowed hard, wondering if her friend was about to destroy both her and her brother. "I am good friends with your Yule date and know exactly the type of impression you made on her. You will certainly have make a better second impression considering she will be visiting me during the Hogsmeade weekends. Have I made myself clear?"

There was no doubt that pain was in the Ravenclaw's future if he didn't shape up around Fleur and the boy swallowed hard, any angry response forgotten at the glare.

"Perfectly, Miss Black," he answered after some time. "Please convey my apologies to Ms. Delacour for my actions that night."

Melania nodded once and turned to Daphne, her features switching from murderous to mischievous faster than most could follow. The change in personality merely reinforced those watching that one never messed with a Black woman. "What do we have this morning?"

"Triple Transfiguration with us," Hannah announced, swiping an apple off Susan's plate before the other girl could complain. The conversation grew from there as the Black Court cemented itself around its Queen.

.

.

oOoOo

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.

"I will need to speak to Miss Black after class," Dumbledore announced the moment noise returned to the Great Hall.

"On what grounds?" Snape demanded before Professor McGonagall could stand to pass on the message. He had seen the old man begin doing the same with Potter and would not allow Black to be dragged into the same web of the Headmaster's.

"Severus?" Dumbledore couldn't have been more surprised if Merlin appeared and smacked him around the face with a wet fish.

"As I asked, Headmaster, on what grounds do you need to speak with my Snake?"

Dumbledore looked between his Potions Master and the large group of students surrounding the girl as though the answer was obvious. Snape merely glared at the manipulative old man as though he was a first year dunderhead.

"There are some things that I talk with the Lady Black about," Dumbledore said, finally, taking it from school to a Wizengamot issue in order to keep the argumentative man from interfering. _When did Severus become so difficult?_ He asked himself.

"I shall inform her after my lesson," McGonagall promised through pinched lips. She was beginning to get a bad feeling about Albus' focus towards Miss Black but could do nothing. Yet. She felt she had failed Harry Potter and would not do so for the daughter of another of her Lions.

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oOoOo

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.

 _Malfoy Manor_

The day went from bad to worse for Severus Snape. Not only did it look like Dumbledore had set his sights on the prodigious Melania Black but his other master had called him almost as soon as his break for lunch begun. He had passed over his teaching time-table to the Dark Lord but had never actually thought he would be called during school hours yet there he was, standing in Malfoy Manor as the thing that had taken his Lily's life waited for Draco's memories to start.

Lord Voldemort, finally feeling more himself after his body was completely healed from his altercation with Potter, sat on his throne surrounded by his Inner Circle. They had received Draco's memories of the first day of class and all were interested to see what the boy had sent.

The Dark Lord's dogsbody, Peter Pettigrew, dutifully poured the glowing mist into the pensieve and activated its projection runes. Voldemort waved his hand and the candles dimmed as a giant image of the Slytherin Common Room appeared before them.

Bellatrix Lestrange née Black, the Dark Consort (even if it was only in her mind) of the Dark Lord Voldemort, watched the projected memory with fascination. The object of her attention being a member of her family she had no idea even existed until her Master broke her out of Azkaban.

"Look at her," she cackled in delight. The memory was of the first night in Slytherin House and the decision of the Greys. "She's not even fazed. She's ready to kill him right then and there."

Severus had to admit, though grudgingly, that the girl did indeed appear ready to render the Malfoy boy into potions ingredients. It was obvious by the girl's reactions that she was more interested in the other students rather than Draco. He had to force himself not to react when it got to Draco immediately accepting the offered deal. Voldemort hissed in fury at the impenitence of the boy.

"Bella, my dearest, you shall have an opportunity to teach young Malfoy his place," he commanded, "I did not give the boy leave to speak in my name."

Her laughter turned even darker with insane delight at putting her nephew through the intense agonies of her lessons. Severus had indeed known what had happened that night and felt Draco's idiocy hadn't lessened upon second viewing. Nor was he less impressed by what the Grey Houses had decided and Black's casual usage of the Dark Lord's name. Voldemort's hissed again and his crimson eyes flared with power at his history being revealed. The rat couldn't move fat enough to change the memory so that it was time for the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom appeared before them.

There was much sneering at Dora's introduction with many comments about a _disgusting little half-breed knowing her place_ but the vitriol was kept mostly to themselves. Severus kept his sneer at their attitudes from showing. Magical talents were magical talents no matter what.

"At least here the boy has learned well," the Dark Lord mused and many nodded their agreement as Draco decimated his everyone he came across. Bella clapped manically at each of her student's wins. She almost lost control when it was time for Melania to step forward.

"Yes! Yes!" The deranged Black sister screeched. "Come on bitch, show Bella what the wittle girl can do."

Snape winced. He had heard about the duel and wished he could be anywhere but where Bellatrix was about to see her student's failure.

"That's Cissy's spell," Bella screamed when a favourite castration curse was barely dodged by Draco. The knowing smirk Dora wore proved to Severus that the Auror knew exactly what her cousin had fired. "What have my sisters been doing?!"

The mood of the room when downhill fast as it became obvious to those familiar with prolonged duels that the Malfoy boy was being toyed with. Snape was immensely impressed with Black's skill but hid it behind mountains of Occlumency shields in case the Dark Lord picked it up. The ending was a little flashy, something far more akin to a Gryffindor move than the Slytherin he knew the girl to be, but overall the duel was something far beyond her age level.

Bellatrix was a frothing mess at Malfoy's loss and was sending one Avada Kedavra after another through the projection in the insane need to destroy the girl. That was when Snape realised that the flourish had been deliberate, that Bellatrix actually felt threatened by the skill they had all seen, and that Black was aware of both with what was said upon waking Draco.

"No teacher, I'll show her no teacher," Bellatrix's voice cracked as it rose in fury, unable to reach the notes she was demanding after its years of abuse screaming in Azkaban. She spun around and dropped to her knees, uncaring about the crack the joints made in her desperation for blood. "Master please, let me put that upstart in her place! Let me show her and my betrayers of sisters what it means to turn on one of their own."

 _You turned on them,_ Severus thought.

"Soon, my dear Bella, soon," Voldemort promised, calmer than Snape had suspected he would be. "Study this memory, piece her weaknesses together. She is her father's daughter, after all. That little dance at the end left her open for an attack."

 _It was done deliberately,_ he fought down the thought as soon as it happened.

"I will, my Lord, I will," Bellatrix cooed, kissing his robes. "When will I be able to put the bitch in her place?"

"The first Hogsmeade weekend. My spies have finally found Gregorovitch and I will be departing soon so that I can have a wand equalling my greatness."

"Thank you, Master," she smiled adoringly up at him and kissed the knuckle of his right hand in worship.

"I will leave you a gift before I leave," the Dark Lord smiled, the action pulling apart the slitted nose. "It is time I picked up our fear-bringing servants from Azkaban. You shall have some of them to go with you and my fellow followers. Strike terror and pain into their hearts, my Bella, and bring House Black to kneel before me as it once did."

"I will, master. I swear it."

Severus Snape shivered at the image and wondered if his other master would actually do anything to stop the attack.

.

.

oOoOo

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.

 _Hogwarts_

The face of Cornelius Fudge stared up at Dolores Umbridge from the Floo flames and it was a face that didn't excite her as it once used to.

Her order had been relatively simply. Under the guise of inspecting Dumbledore and the other teachers, she was to sniff out anything that could be used against the Chief Warlock and the Houses of Potter and Black. Simply had turned into complicated and then dangerous almost from the beginning.

"I think it's time to move to our next step, Dolores," Fudge was saying with fury, his blind hatred towards two Noble and Most Ancient Houses keeping him from realising he had already lost. "I'll be convincing enough people to enact your High Inquisitor position soon. You'll be able to start clamping down on Dumbledore and Black and force them to bring Potter out from the shadows."

Umbridge was in her private office, a small thing that had been provided upon her arrival and which was now filled with images of cats. At one point she would have been delighted at the information yet now there was a problem. She couldn't shake the duel between Black and Malfoy from her thoughts.

"Cornelius," She had followed him up through the ranks of the ministry and owed it to their history to try again. "I don't think this will work. The Blacks are keeping Potter hidden and they won't do anything to risk his hide. Why don't we go after Dumbledore first?"

She was practically pleading by the end. She knew she was holding onto her job by her fingertips with Cornelius almost out of the door after Lady Black's involvement in the last Wizengamot meeting.

"No," Fudge screamed, half in panic, half in fury. "Black must be brought down. All the Blacks must fall! They must fall and be buried where no one can ever bring them back!"

"Cornelius..."

"Destroy the girl. Destroy the girl and it'll bring Sirius Black out into the light where we can crush him! Destroy them, Dolores, destroy them all."

Fudge vanished from the flames to leave Umbridge lost in her own dark and twisted thoughts. It was rumoured that Cornelius' wife had already moved out, desperate to get away from her husband's growing insanity, while all of Umbridge's contacts within the Ministry laughed at the idea of the former Minister for Magic having any sway within the government. That the Ministry considered him a former Minister when he still, technically, held the title spoke volumes.

Umbridge was a cruel and evil person who believed in Pure-blood Supremacy to the most horrific conclusion. She wasn't above killing, a far too noisy Mudblood in her OWL year proved that, but she much preferred the hands-off approach. The Ministry had shown her how much pleasure there was to be found in using political force to shape the world in the image she wasn't with a swish of the quill rather than of the wand. Why, if she could only get through the bill for that pesky werewolf camp, officially only for the full-moon, then she'd fix the country's problem with those horrible creatures. She'd make extra sure that the beast working with House Black was the first to go.

The idea of taking on Dumbledore had excited her. With the power of the Ministry and Minster behind her and the Chief Warlock's power at its lowest since before the Dark War of Europe, it would have been easy to do what she wanted to do. Her eyes drifted over to the special shoebox and the sweet toys inside only to shudder at the thought of using them now.

Her Cornelius had overreached himself and brought the fury of both Blacks and Potters down upon him. Going after the Boy-Who-Lived brat was one thing but a Lord Potter, a Lady Black and a united House Black the likes their country hadn't seen in decades? No, even she, in all her bigoted ways, knew better than to do that. At least not the full-frontal approach Cornelius seemed to be following.

Dolores' problem was the DADA class she had sat in on the previous day. It wasn't the duel that haunted her but its end. As Melania Black, the bitch, had spun around, she had come to a stop staring straight at Umbridge. Only there was nothing natural about the eyes that glared at her. The eyes were an animal's, shining hungry in the light, and the look the girl chilled Dolores' cruel heart. It was a look saying the _thing_ behind it didn't care if she was alive or dead. That it would even enjoy killing her.

Dolores Umbridge had no qualms about killing Melania Black. She had qualms about _failing_ to kill Melania Black and then having that nightmarish look take over the girl's face as the bitch hunted her down. Something with that look could make sure she suffered plenty before she died.

No, it was time for Dolores Umbridge to rethink about her role in Cornelius' desire for the Blacks' deaths. And, as Dolores reached for some unusually flavoured treats a strange House-elf with a socked covered ear had provided her with, she knew there was always the extended family who had moved to Russia.

She had no idea that she would never make it to Russia nor that she was being studied by invisible eyes. Kreacher watched the Toad Woman and knew it was time to ask Winky to up the dosage in the next batch of Black cakes for his Mistress' enemy. Just as Winky would watch their Mistress during the meeting with the dangerous Whiskers, so Kreacher and Dobby kept watch over any who was not on the side of House Black.

Melania had no idea that her House-elves passed on everything happening to her to those living in Grimmauld Place.

.

.

oOoOo

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.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Chief Warlock, stalked around his office, unable to keep his usual mask of pleasantry and control from slipping. Harry Potter was missing. Vanished. As though the boy had never existed.

He had allowed Sirius and those blasted sisters to keep the boy away from him over the summer. He had accepted, if not actually liked, the idea that an attack such as Lucius Malfoy had committed would need time and space to heal from. He had even managed to convince himself that it would do the boy good and that Harry would return into his control all the better for the incident.

"How could this have happened, Fawkes?" He demanded of the phoenix as it and Sebastian the Sorting Hat watched the great man unravel. "I had everything planned."

He was sure he could have come up with something to counter the fact Harry was Lord Potter. Hogwarts was the perfect place to break the control Sirius and those sisters had over the boy and Dumbledore knew how to play the long game. Only something had happened that threw everything out of the window. At some point, most likely during the meal Melania Black put on for him during her first day at Headquarters, the sisters had somehow spirited Harry away and broken the connected his equipment had with the boy.

It was a complete and total break. Albus wasn't even capable of knowing for sure if the boy was still alive!

It had to be that day the girl had arrived. He was sure of it. No one was powerful enough to wrestle control of any ward, let alone something as strong as a Fidelius, from him. Yet that is exactly what the girl did. However she did it, it was no doubt that answer came from the Black Library and was extremely Dark. It was also very deliberate, designed to completely disrupt his magic. Disrupt it enough to even break his many instruments.

He needed the boy. Severus was positive that Tom had aimed his sights towards the Department of Mysteries and driving Harry there. Dumbledore needed to know how badly the visions had become, how much control Tom was taking over Harry before their eventual confrontation. A confrontation within the Ministry that would be perfect for the final defeat of Tom.

Dumbledore was sure that the death of Harry Potter would damage Tom's magic enough to make the rest of the horcruxes invalid if a killing blow was struck quick enough. _The horcruxes,_ Dumbledore thought, looking wistfully at the destroyed ring sitting on his desk.

"How is it destroyed, old friend?" He asked the phoenix. "What foul piece of magic did Tom use to render a Hallows dead?"

He stopped his pacing and withdrew the long elder wand and stared at it in part disgust, part awe.

"The Hallow I wanted least is the one I have possessed the most," he explained to the listening office. "If I could retake the third, would that somehow give me the power to recreate the second? I must experiment once I've defeated Tom."

He resumed his pacing, thankful to Poppy that she had fixed his hip without leaving it with an ache. Though he had been forced to lie about how it was injured.

"Harry. It comes back to Harry," he declared, going back over his previous ramblings. "I must make sure Harry is where he needs to be, no matter what."

The Hat and phoenix continued to watch on, sadness growing at what had become of their once close friend. The man would continue his ranting for most of the day, working himself into such a state he would end up needing a Calming Drought before his meeting with the meddlesome Lady Black.

Albus Dumbledore was completely unaware of Phineas Nigellus Black slipping out from his portrait. The dead Headmaster had been reminded of _Toujours pur et Toujours debout_ and he would not be found wanting when House Black was in need.

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oOoOo

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Neville Longbottom should have been enjoying himself. He should have been having fun talking to his girlfriend as they sat in each other's arms by the Black Lake. Neville should have been doing those things but he wasn't. Instead he was looking out the calm waters with deep, troubling thoughts.

"Speak to me, Neville," Luna Lovegood told him without any condemning of his faraway thoughts.

Their relationship had sprung out slowly from their emotional conversation over her mother's grave. The loss of family and potential loss of their closest friend had forged something between the two of them they had never felt before. It was natural, peaceful, and moved at its own sedate pace.

"Melania Black," he confessed with a sigh.

"Her duel," Luna guessed, completely relaxed about her boyfriend thinking of another girl.

"Yeah. I thought I was doing good, especially after working with Harry but..." He sighed again and finally looked down at where Luna was snuggled against his chest. "It showed me how little I know and how much I need to learn."

"We need to learn," she corrected. "And not just us."

"The DADA is good, Luna," he explained with passion building. "Especially with Tonks. But we need more. We need what Harry was putting himself through last year."

"Who do?" She asked with the beginnings of an impish smile that he completely missed.

"Can you imagine some of the students now if something happened? All the Gryffindors care about is losing the Quidditch Cup this year because they're without Harry as a Seeker. Not that he almost died from an attack inside the Ministry," he was almost shouting by the end of the rant and she could feel his heart racing with the power of his belief in what he was saying. "What if they're in Diagon Alley and that bitch Lestrange shows up? I bet any of her Death Eater chums could take most of us without raising a sweat because of how little we know, how little we're prepared."

"Isn't that what DADA is for?"

"Then we should have more classes," he demanded, eyes narrowing as the plan formed. "An extra class where we can put everything into practice just like how Harry was showing me."

"Can it be done?" Luna subtly smirked, looking up at the strong boy with love in her eyes. "Who would do it?"

"A teacher could only sponsor it," he decided as he unknowingly glared at the spot Harry had surfaced during the Second Task. "They wouldn't take it where we'd need it to go. Not the way Harry was with me."

"How could you put it together?"

"You remember S.P.A.C.E?" He rhetorically asked as the idea fermented in his thoughts. The organisation was still going strong having become an underground movement that had taken on a life of its own. It was now devoted to protecting anyone and anything. Younger years, regardless of House colours, were watched over and mentored by the S.P.A.C.E. Members. "Once Harry put Hermione on the right course, she pulled together all those people for something none of them even originally agreed with. I bet she could do the same for a Defence group that would push us to protect ourselves."

"Would she do it?" Luna asked as though doubting the power of Hermione's skills.

"Yeah, yeah she would," Neville pulled them to their feet and raced for the castle, leading her all the way to the Gryffindor rooms. "I'm so glad you come up with these ideas, sweetheart. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Oh, most likely take over the world and cover it in plants," The fae-like girl giggled behind Neville as he pulled her into the Gryffindor common room.

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oOoOo


	32. A Clash of Old and New

**AN: So here we are after a multitude of queries asking if this had been abandoned (regardless of saying that I will always finish a story). This chapter is far, far later than I had wanted. I've honestly read and reread Son of Potter (and damn, my typos and errors are bad in some areas) in order to make sure I was putting threads together and then stripped bare and deleted this chapter an insane number of times. I think I both love and hate this chapter in a way I've never felt towards anything I've written. Yet now I'm past this chapter, everything else will come far more regularly. In fact, we're back to a weekly update from here on until the end of the story.**

 **Some people have been confused about why Draco remains alive. It was specifically stated in Chapter 18 that the ritual killing ol' Lucius was a one time deal and was judged by Magic in order for Blondie to be killed off. I heavily expand all areas of Family Magics in my stories but _every single_ ritual comes with a price. And that includes the one that killed Lucius as well as what turned Hedwig into Muninn.**

 **It was also brought up that the engagement between Amelia and Sirius is super-fast. You have to remember that they were childhood sweethearts in this story who both wanted to get married before Halloween '81. They've also been spending a _lot_ of time together since halfway through August. So while they might be rushing into the marriage, it isn't as though they've only seen each other twice before he pops the question.**

 **I also want to say to anyone suffering from mental health issues that there is nothing wrong with seeking help. Having a support structure, both friends/family and professional, _does_ help and it is better than simply trying to go it alone. With that said, here is the next part of Daughter of Black!**

* * *

A Clash of Old and New

 _5th September, 1995 – Hogwarts_

There was no wasted breath in the quiet walk to Dumbledore's office once Snape had collected Melania post-dinner. There had been a half-second where some of her Court had wanted to go with them as some kind of honour guard but the Potions Master sharply glared that idea in the bud.

That didn't stop Snape being extremely proud of his Snakes' loyalty, merely exasperated at their lack of belief in his ability to keep their Queen safe. Added to the man's lack of speech was an idea that had been percolating in his thoughts for a while, something that he was unsure if he wanted to investigate.

Melania was also lost in thought. Her assessment of what was becoming her Court was positive even though most wouldn't be able to handle any of the Inner Circle Death Eaters. That she was considering training teenagers to fight hardened murderers didn't sit well with the Lady Black but she knew that it had to be done. If only so some of her Court wouldn't die at the hands of their parents.

The gargoyle parted for the solemn pair and they entered the moment Dumbledore called out. The Headmaster was sitting behind his raised desk with a pleasant smile that didn't reach his eyes. Melania fought against a frown as she looked around the circular office, noticing a number of random objects missing from the last time she had seen it as Harry. Snape's focus was entirely upon his employer and second Master and was surprised to see a slight glazing to his blue eyes.

 _You're losing control if you need a calming drought before this meeting, Albus,_ Snape thought to himself.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said to draw Melania's attention. "You may go now."

"I requested Master Snape's attendance," Melania regally sat in the only available chair while the man in question stood by the door. Her legs crossed and she placed both palms on her knee in order to appear non-threatening. She also had both her wands ready to be ejected from their wrist holsters if the Chief Warlock tried anything. "I'm aware you wanted to see me as Lady Black, Headmaster, but one never knows what these chats might turn to."

A flicker of darkness crossed the old man's features and then was gone as the Calming Drought did its work. Dumbledore nodded and sat back to study Melania, peaking his fingers together beneath his beard. As the silence stretched, she took a glance towards the portrait of Phineas Nigellus. The cracks around the frame remained and she was aware the former headmaster was in communication with her father. She wanted to frown when she saw the worried looks Phineas Nigellus was casting between her and Dumbledore. She would have to tread carefully if the powerful wizard had disturbed the dead man.

The Headmaster allowed the silence to drag on until it was almost uncomfortable before finally speaking.

"I've been hearing interesting things from my Wizengamot contacts. The Greys are looking to unite behind a single cause for the first time since Arcturus Black and Charlus Potter."

"That's right, you knew my great-grandfathers," Melania pointed in a careful tone. According to her father, neither man had been too enamoured by the powerful Dumbledore. His eyebrows raised at how she addressed the infamous names.

"Grandfathers?"

"It works," she shrugged, refusing to elaborate. Dumbledore's eyes briefly darkened at her lack of an answer.

"I've had some good Light families come to me in concern. They too have heard the rumours and fear the Greys being drawn over to the Dark. A worrying proposition in these trying times."

" _Any_ family falling to _Voldemort_ is a worrying thing," she corrected with a hint of venom at the older man's blatant discriminatory attitude. "Your good Light families should remember that their political leanings aren't the only ones at risk in these trying times."

"Yes, yes," Dumbledore mumbled, completely sidetracking anything that went against his ideology. "The fact of the matter is, I would like to speak to young Harry in discuss such things with him."

Melania blinked at the Headmaster who merely stared back over his half-moon glasses. She ran back through the entire conversation yet still couldn't see how he justified the mental jump from subject to this conclusion.

"You'll need to be more specific, Dumbledore," she demanded, flicking a bit of imaginary lint off her skirt rather than continue to worry. "I don't quite see the relevance between Harry's safety and those rumours."

"Why, it's simple, my dear," he smirked. The condensing attitude radiated from behind the raised desk and the smirk had both Melania and Snape wish to smack it off from beneath the bushy facial hair. "After all, he is the leading of the _Potter_ -Black alliance even though I would have wanted to keep him from such stresses for a few more years."

Melania's eyes narrowed at the jab and she almost snarled at the arrogant git. Her reaction seemed to please Dumbledore who couldn't see the dirty looks and vile hand gestures the portrait of Phineas Nigellus was giving.

" _I_ am the leader of the _Black_ -Potter alliance, Dumbledore," she practically snarled. "Lord Potter has no desire to get involved in the same political system that put him on trial for defending his life even if he wasn't still recovering from Malfoy's attack."

"But it is young Harry's name that everyone flocks to, Melania. It is Harry who is the Boy-Who-Lived and beloved of the people."

Snape stepped forward to put a calming hand on Melania's shoulder before his Snake could respond. The tight muscles beneath his calloused hand betrayed just how deeply affected she was becoming to the conversation.

"Perhaps, Albus, you could explain what it is you want of my Snake? The time grows late and I have work to do."

"Yes, thank you, Severus," the old man snapped when it became obvious the contact between Head of House and student eased the latter's stress. "I wish to train Harry, Miss Black. There will come a time when he cannot ignore what is happening in the world and I want to make sure he is on the right path before it is too late."

"Why are you so certain he'll be pulled back?" She asked, wondering if the Prophecy would be revealed.

"Voldemort," Dumbledore replied with a wave of his hand as though it was the most obvious answer. "Voldemort will not let Harry go even if it means he'll go after Harry's friends to draw him out."

A cold weight settled in Melania's stomach at the terrible words and she had a brief moment of wondering which 'he' Dumbledore was truly talking about. The paranoid idea was gone almost as quick as it formed. She rose, Snape's hand falling off her shoulder the second he felt her move and gave the Chief Warlock an imperious glare.

"If you know this then set up protections for his friends. Don't try to put the weight of the world on the shoulders of a young man who has been through too much as it is."

She didn't wait for a reply. Her Head of House was a step behind her as she walked out of the office only for Dumbledore to call his Potions Professor back.

"We will be speaking soon, Severus. I have many questions for you."

Onyx eyes stared into blue and then Snape nodded, swishing out of the office without hesitation. He was not looking forward to that particular meeting.

The Potions Master found his Snake waiting for him at the gargoyle statue. He didn't let her talk. Instead, he used his longer strides to head down to the dungeons where portraits and House-elves weren't always listening to report back to their master. He didn't need the precaution. Melania's emotions was a mess behind her mask and she began to wonder just what was Dumbledore's endgame for Harry.

"Come," Snape ordered as he moved towards his office rather than the Slytherin Common Room. His personal wards settled around his awareness as he entered the room and informed him that no one or nothing had been in since he last left.

Melania took the seat facing Snape's desk and watched him lean down to open a locked drawer. The dark-haired man brought out a fresh bottle of bourbon and two glasses that he splashed some of the expensive liquid into. She raised an eyebrow at being offered alcohol and he scoffed.

"You're old enough, you're Lady Black and it is one glass," he informed her in his usual no-nonsense tone. "It is also the only glass you'll get from me."

She had no argument and simply took the drink with the respect it was offered. Snape sipped his own and watched her with his immutable dark gaze.

"There are a number of rituals designed to purge a person of their emotions or to simply focus their minds on a singular task," Snape explained in the same low tone he used for his classes. "The one thing about all of these rituals is that they make the person extremely dangerous to deal with. They find it far easier to make decisions others would declare to be horrific."

She knew there was a reason behind the impromptu lesson but couldn't see it. _Unless he's suggesting that Dumbledore has done something so stupid?_ She thought with a visible frown. Snape was secretly pleased to spot her putting the pieces together.

"One specific ritual has the wizard or witch carve out the emotions they wish to avoid. They then find they have greater emotional manipulation over themselves and others. The downside to this ritual is any spell or potion that affects the emotional state will cause brief mental destabilisation. This evening, Dumbledore was under the effects of a Calming Drought."

"Morgana," her eyes widened at what Snape was suggesting. If Dumbledore had truly done such a ritual then there was no telling what else he would do. Especially with pesky emotions like empathy and morality being dulled. Melania took a sip of the strong drink as the master Slytherin continued his lesson.

"The reason I know of this particular ritual is that I was considering it," Snape lifted his glass as though to take a sip while watching his student. There was a flicker of amusement as he timed his next words. "Such was my pain when your mother died, mister Potter."

Snape couldn't help smirking as Melania Black choked on the bourbon. The expensive drink caught the back of her throat as he dropped his bombshell and she had to quickly put the half-empty glass on the desk before the harsh coughs caused her to spill the rest. As it was, Melania decided that it wasn't as nice coming out of her nose as it had been going down her throat.

"You did that deliberately," she accused in a croaky voice. A handkerchief appeared from somewhere so she could wipe herself down. He didn't reply but simply waved his wand to dry and clean her up.

There was no hiding from Snape's intense gaze. There was no pretending that she didn't know exactly who the Potions Master was talking about. Instead, the question was how did he know.

"What gave it away?"

Snape was pleased that his Slytherin didn't attempt to hide the truth though quickly fabricated lies after her reaction. Cunning was all well and good but he couldn't abide stupidity when someone was caught out in a lie.

"I have no doubt your records and paper trail are exceptional work and your backstory is something suitably Black in its execution," translation; when your father was younger he was perfectly idiotic enough to abandon both his newborn daughter _and_ godson for revenge. "Yet this does nothing to take away from the fact you came from nowhere just as someone with as much baggage as Harry Potter carries vanished from the public eye. Anyone who doesn't at least suspect a connection between the outgoing and incoming students is a complete dunderhead."

She cringed at his critique. It had been her biggest worry in their entire plan.

"The sex change did convince me otherwise," Snape admitted before taking another sip of his drink. He was watching Melania as he explained his thought processes. He wouldn't have done so for many people but Melania Black had impressed him over the past couple of months. "Yet even allowing for Melania to be a secret love-child of Black this then brought up another problem."

"And that would be?"

"You are your mother's daughter. Your talents are Lily, your mannerisms are Lily, your personality is far more Lily that it is Black's. So unless you wish to convince me that Lily Evans had an extra-marital affair with Black and hid it from the world, explain to me how you can be sitting there as Melania Black but be Harry Potter."

She mentally cringed as Snape's voice grew colder at the end, his anger at the idea of Lily sleeping with her father overcoming much of his growth in attitude towards the Marauders. Melania swiped the glass from the desk and downed the remaining bourbon in order to settle her nerves. She took a deep breath and found a more comfortable position in the hard chair, legs crossing while she matched his intense eyes.

"It all starts with Antonin Dolohov," she proclaimed in a firm voice that showed none of her nerves, going on to explain about Lily being hit by the Death Eater's curse and her parents finding out exactly what it did. Snape's knuckles whitened as his hold on the glass tightened and she was sure he would be having a refill at the end of the conversation. "According to mum's journals, she had been researching magical genetics since her third year."

"She had," Snape confirmed and his eyes drifted for a brief moment as he thought back to his Hogwarts years. "She never told me why but Lily became obsessed with understanding Familial Magic and how specific traits are linked with families."

"Malfoy hair, Black bone structure and grey eyes, Potter hair," she agreed, looking forward to her Head of House's reaction to what was to come. "The Avada coloured eyes of Salazar Slytherin."

"Excuse me?" The mind of the Master Occlumens came to a screeching halt at what was being suggested. "Are you telling me that Lily was a descendant of the most infamous Founder there is? The most anti-Muggle wizard in history?"

"No, Master Snape, I'm telling you that her eyes made her the _Primary_ descendant for Slytherin's line. She would have come out on top if she and Riddle had attempted to claim the Lordship."

And it had been a complete surprise for Melania to read that it had been Narcissa who had explained this to Lily.

Snape struggled to wrap his mind around what he had heard and looked into his student's eyes, once again noticing how the laurel colour was more the Black grey overlapped with Lily's green eyes. It made him wonder what other secrets the young woman was hiding.

"As shocking as this is, I assume your previous experience as Harry Potter is not all down to some secret Slytherin magic."

"Nothing so mundane," she replied with a small chuckle that had Snape snorting at her quick cheeky grin. Melania went on to explain how Lily had manipulated the genetic material of the two best friends. "With James being the son of Dorea Black, it meant that Harry would carry the potential for being a Metamorphmagus. Somehow mum locked that ability to have her child swap between James' son and Sirius' daughter in order to beat the curse. She truly was a genius."

"Yes, she was," Snape replied in a soft voice that betrayed his feelings for his childhood friend. He snapped out of the melancholy feelings to focus on the reason why he had begun the meeting. "This means you will need to be even more careful of Albus, Miss Black. There are things I am unable to discuss with you about why he is so focused on Potter but believe me, he will not give up demanding you return his Golden Boy."

"You know about the prophecy?" Melania gasped, putting wand and movement together. The hair at the back of her neck bristled from the suddenly cold glare from the older man.

"What exactly do you know of the prophecy, Miss Black?"

"Harry managed to get Riddle to admit there was one at the graveyard," she quickly explained and Snape absently noticed how clear the girl split herself from her other persona. "Amelia Bones told my father that there's on in the Department of Mysteries with Harry, Trelawney and Dumbledore's name."

Snape took a moment to compose himself. He was under oaths to Dumbledore that kept him from talking in detail about this very topic. Yet there was one thing he could share before sending Black the Younger to her waiting Court.

"Be aware that the Dark Lord would like nothing more than to have Potter collect the Prophecy for him. Now, you have some Slytherins waiting for you and I have no wish to see them break down my door looking for you."

Melania knew a dismissal when she heard one. She didn't mind that it was so sudden, the entire evening was enough to cause her head to spin and she needed time to digest exactly how her world had changed from the two meetings.

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oOoOo

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 _Later that Night_

"What do you mean Snape knows?" Sirius' voice hit an unnatural note that had all those hearing it cringe. Melania was laying on her bed using her mirror to explain the day's events to Grimmauld.

"I mean he worked out that I'm Lily's daughter and knew that there's no way she'd have an affair with you behind James' back," Melania explained in a patient 'you're being an idiot' voice. "He wanted to know what was going on and I told him. He then warned me that Riddle might try forcing Harry to retrieve the Prophecy."

Sirius' mouth was working but no sound could be heard as he tried getting over the fact his school-time nemesis now knew their family's biggest secret.

"You believe he's on your side?" Cissy softly asked. Melania knew there was tension between her aunt and Head of House but also knew the woman was doing her best to keep it from causing any issues.

"As much as he can be, yeah. It wouldn't surprise me if both Dumbledore and Riddle have him wrapped up in oaths."

"Mel, pup, _please_ be careful," Sirius was able to plead, his grey eyes filled with his love for her. The intensity took her breath away.

"I promise."

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oOoOo

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 _10_ _th_ _September, 1995_

It had been an interesting time for Melania. Snape continued to treat her exactly the same as he had before the bombshell of a meeting while the inspections by the dishonourable Madam Umbridge continued, though much more subdued and with almost no interruptions after the first few days. The pink blob in the corner of her classrooms had taken nothing away from Melania's enjoyment of learning, and she had dived into each class like a Ravenclaw finding a new library.

And for the most part, the teachers were reasonably fair, though somewhat stricter with her and her homework than they had been with Harry the previous year. It took a little longer to for her to be called up for answers and her points accumulation was only half what Harry had enjoyed.

Malfoy had been surprisingly quiet after his loss to her in the duel but she had no doubts something would happen because of it. The training with her family continued and she had found a new development with her connection with Muninn. Their familiar bond extended beyond what had been suspected and Melania had been delighted to find she could control when she saw out of her raven's eyes. She had actually been doing exactly that, enjoying the way the former owl soared through the Hogwarts grounds when she entered one of her Transfiguration classes.

"Early, Miss Black," Professor McGonagall said with suspicious pleasure. "Excellent."

"Excellent, Professor?" Melania frowned as she separated herself from Muninn's mind. It was still a difficult procedure and not something she could do as part of a battle. "Why?"

"Don't be so nervous, child," the woman chuckled at the nervous look she was receiving. "I merely wished to ask if you knew how to dance."

"Er...yeah, I do," she admitted as she took her seat. The room filled up around her and she was slightly disturbed by the feline smile the elder woman was giving them.

"Before we begin, class, I have an announcement to make," McGonagall declared once everyone had taken their seats. "Due to the wonderful results of last year's Yule Ball, the Hogwarts staff have decided to host a Halloween Ball this year. If it is as successful as we believe it can be, we are thinking of holding a themed Ball every year."

The class erupted in excited whispers from the girls and some of the boys while Melania blinked in utter surprise. It didn't help that her mind was filled with raven laughter.

"Unlike last year, the Halloween Ball will be open to all students. We will be allowing dance partners from outside of Hogwarts but only once their name has been vetted. Anyone thinking of sneaking someone in who hasn't been agreed upon by at least two members of staff will face severe punishment. Now, we continue with animal transfiguration. Miss Brown, share the mice out if you will."

Melania continued to blink as she rebooted her thoughts. There was no way the person she wanted to invite would be willing to go as her date. A nudge from Tracey snapped her out of her daze.

"Already thinking of which boy to accept your invitation from?" The girl giggled and Melania heard Daphne's usual sigh of exasperation from her other side.

"Actually, I'm wondering if my date will be available," she replied, her second-choice popping quickly to mind. The mental nod of agreement from Muninn had the Lady Black wondering when she had started taking so much advice from her feathered friend.

Melania would spend the rest of the time leading up to the Ball fighting off both requests to be a date and Tracey's desperate attempts to find out who she had picked out as the lucky guy.

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oOoOo

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 _7th October, 1995_

Melania's potential date for the Ball met with her outside of Hogwarts for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. It was still warm and Fleur Delacour was wearing low cut pants with knee-high dragon-hide boots. A silver chain was fastened loosely around her waist and dangled distractedly down one leg while her sleeveless top hid far more than it showed. All-in-all, Melania thought the girl looked good enough to eat and told her so.

"Merci, my little dagger," the French girl beamed at the compliment and they kissed each other's cheeks after sharing a crushing hug. It was a nickname she had given Melania after watching the girl's training sessions with Andi. "Mother and father send their best and little Gabriel is pouting that she could not be here to steal you away from me."

Melania laughter filled the sunny air and the two girls turned heads as they made a slow walk to Hogsmeade.

"So how have you been?" Fleur asked with a smirk as they walked arm in arm. "How goes your private lessons with your Dora?"

"Not my Dora, Fleur," Melania sighed, ignoring the stares they were getting from the passing carriages. "And she's a Professor this year, no private lessons for me."

"Pish," the elegant girl said with a wave of an artistic hand. "She only needs encouragement."

"Speaking of," Melania began, her nerves causing her friend to frown. A part of Melania sighed at how lovely her friend looked making the expression. "There's a Ball at Halloween and I can't ask Dora.."

"Ah, my darling dagger," the French girl held the back of her hand to her forehead in mock horror. "I've been relegated to a back-up date. What shall my little ego do?"

"Stop it," Melania giggled, hip bumping Fleur in the hopes of getting the mocking girl to behave. "You were the only one I thought of besides her."

"And of course I shall be honoured, ma chérie. I know the perfect dress for you to wear."

"What? What about your dress?"

"We can worry about that later. Yours is the one that must be the honey that traps the fly."

Melania groaned while her friend laughter tinkled the air around them.

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oOoOo

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Nymphadora 'Dora' Black-Tonks growled while her mother's chuckles echoed in her ears. Dora was looking out of the window of The Three Broomsticks where she was sharing a lunch with Andromeda and had just spotted the laughing pair of Melania and Fleur Delacour.

"You respect our Lady, don't you?" Andromeda asked with the sternness that only came from a prying mother. "You aren't playing with the girl's affections?"

"Mum!" Dora hissed half-angry, half-embarrassed, quickly looking around to make sure no one heard the question. "Of course I do, of course, I'm not."

"She cares for you a great deal," Andi pointed out and took a sip from her glass of pumpkin juice. "You were there when no one else could be."

"I know," Dora sighed heavily. It was all too easy to remember the night Harry had taken the potion that revealed Melania to the world and the fear she had felt watching her friend. "I know that."

"You care for her."

"That's not the point, mum," she whined unhappily. She took a deep gulp of her Butterbeer and Andromeda was extremely grateful it wasn't anything stronger even though she was sure her daughter wasn't. "I'm a teacher, it's not right."

"You won't be a teacher next year. Amelia's only put you on this for a year."

"I _know,_ mum," once again she looked to the streets where the two girls were having fun over some joke.

Madam Bones had been so impressed by her undercover work as Natalia that she had pushed Dora into taking the DADA position to keep a watchful eye on Lady Black. The political situation was heating up and Hogwarts had been proved not to be a safe environment for important students. Dora had not expected it to be a nightmare having to watch Melania each day and miss the personal time they had spent together the previous year. The private conversations, the emotional sharing, the teaching of how to be a girl. Tonks had fallen hard for the newly discovered Melania and every excuse seemed to be crumbling as the weeks passed.

"Tell me about what's going on upstairs," Andi took pity on her daughter. Love was a tricky business for the Blacks, especially when it came to those close to the Head of House, and she didn't want to push either girl into something that could fracture their family. "Did young Neville really come up with this all on his own?"

"Oh yeah!" Dora laughed, remembering the way the Longbottom Scion had come to her with Luna and Hermione. The boy had been convinced the two girls had thought it all up only for the two to explain what really happened when he left the room. "He really did and I think it's a great idea. See what he wants to do is..."

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oOoOo

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A full room on the next floor up, the current topic of discussion between mother and daughter was taking place. A crowd of almost thirty students, a surprisingly good mix of all four Houses, were sitting in a magically expanded room waiting for the show to start. Nestled in the corner was Professor Flitwick, the reason for the magical expansion, who was part sponsor along with Dora for the entire adventure. Hermione pointedly looked at Neville, Luna gave his hand a squeeze, and the brother of Harry Potter took a deep, steadying breath before standing.

"Right. I would first like to thank everyone for coming," he said, timidly at first but growing in confidence as the words came. Many were spellbound that the confident and powerful boy speaking was the same Neville Longbottom they had seen continuously losing his pet frog in first year. "We've all experienced DADA classes and see where Professor Black-Tonks is heading with it."

By then everyone had heard of Melania's attack on McLaggen and no one was stupid enough to make a rude comment about their teacher in case it got back to the powerful Slytherin.

"But I feel...and I think some of you do as well...that the classes have shown how unprepared we really are," he nodded in thanks at Luna when she passed him a glass of water and he took a steadying sip from it. "Yes, we want to pass our OWLS. But we can't hide from what else she is trying to teach us."

"And that is?" An aggressive Hufflepuff called out. Susan, standing near her friend sigh, and whispered the boy's name to Neville. "What exactly are you suggestion, Longbottom?"

"Danger, Smith," Neville forcefully told the boy, his aura beginning to tingle the air around him in his passion. "You don't have to believe Voldemort has returned."

The predictable shudder and gasps of fear ripped through the crowd.

"I do. I believe Harry had to face him," Neville declared, staring down Zacharias Smith until the boy had to look away from the fierceness of his glare. "But you don't have to. You know why? Because there are still ten escaped Death Eaters out there who would kill you as soon as they saw you. You don't have to believe their leader is back if they're out there ready to hurt anyone they feel is beneath them."

"What are you suggesting, Neville?" Ernie Macmillan asked and the rest of the crowd murmured their wish to know the answer. "Where's this really going?"

"Training," Neville told them plainly. By now his presence was filling the room and no one was able to turn away when his eyes met theirs. "I did a lot of training with Harry last year when he was preparing for the Tournament and he made sure I understood a lot more than simple charms. Duelling tactics, how to stay alive, when to run and when to fight."

"Harry certainly knew all that," Fred smiled fondly at the idea of the boy he considered family.

"And the boy can sure cast a Patronus," George added with a wistful sigh.

"And we'll learn that too." Neville promised only to go red as everyone stared at him.

"You know how to cast a Patronus?" Lee asked with worship in his eyes.

"Corporeal?" Hermione looked as though someone had told her one of her books actually held the secrets of the universe except she had been reading it wrong this entire time. Luna merely beamed at the attention her man was getting.

"I can, and yes," he answered, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Harry showed me how to the last time I saw him."

The students were looking at Neville akin to a superstar. Here was a boy they had ignored and laugh at, potentially be able to do things only great wizards like Dumbledore and Harry Potter could do. And he was looking to train them. It took almost no time at all after that for everyone to sigh up for the list Flitwick put together.

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Melania was having a blast with Fleur as they drifted from shop to shop. They'd even slipped into Gladrags to pick out a few items, where Fleur had her stand still while the shop assistant took and wrote down her measurements for the mysterious dress. Every joke and hint at what her friend was cooking up had Melania growing more nervous at things getting out of hand.

Muninn was enjoying the warm air and soaring somewhere above, mentally laughing at her pet's embarrassment and keeping her from getting too worked up. Suddenly the raven sent a pulse of warning through their bond so strong that Melania almost tumbled to the ground.

"Chérie?" Fleur cried out as Melania lost footing, barely catching her. "What's wrong?"

"Trouble," Melania croaked, fear blazing in her eyes. She spun her head up and down the street in desperation. Something caught her attention and she blinked when she realised it was the still form of Draco standing in an alleyway watching her. He calmly looked down the village to where Muninn had told her the attack was coming from and back to her.

Her heart sunk as she realised he knew what was coming. A noise caught her attention and she was glad when she spotted a rather large crowd exciting The Three Broomsticks. A glance back to the shadowy alleyway but Malfoy had already vanished. She shook off any thought about the boy, she couldn't worry about that now.

"Professor! Professor!" She called out, racing hard towards Flitwick while the surprised Fleur was left trying to keep up. "You need to get everyone out of here. Now."

"Miss Black," Flitwick stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about."

"Dementors," she snapped, wand in hand as she scanned back down the street where Muninn had seen the waiting demons. The raven in question soared down to land perfectly on her shoulder to nuzzle into her hair in the attempts to comfort the panicking girl. "Dementors and Death Eaters."

Filius Flitwick didn't think for a moment that it was a poor joke and immediately withdrew his own wand. A quick swish had the glowing form of a wyvern appearing before the startled and scared students.

"To Albus," he commanded the Patronus. "Hogsmeade is about to be attacked by Dementors and Death Eaters."

The unique dragon nodded its great head and flew off towards the castle just as Dora and Andromeda raced out of the Three Broomsticks.

"I saw the Patronus, what's wrong?" Dora demanded, her hair cycling through colours as her attention immediately focused on Melania.

"We're about to be attacked," She told her friend, not wanting to explain the how. Muninn squawked and that was enough of a hint for the Auror who immediately pulled out her badge of service to tap at an emergency code. Melania had turned to Fleur and barely opened her mouth before the French girl cut her off.

"Non! Don't you dare ask me to run and leave you here," she snapped, the air warping with the heat that the Veela was giving off. "I vill not."

"You dare try that shit with me girls," Andromeda stated before either Melania or Dora could look at her. "And I'll have you both over my knees."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," Flitwick pointed out as dark shapes appeared at the end of the street. Screams could already be heard somewhere as the Death Eaters made their own presence known.

"Students to safety," Melania commanded as she stepped out into the street, her eyes locked onto the creatures of nightmares. Her magic pulsed, acting like Loki ready to slip free and rip and tear. "That's your job, Professor."

Fleur was immediately beside Melania and Neville followed behind. Dora turned to her mother, fear for both their safety evident in her ever changing hair colour.

"Help the Professor, mum," she pleaded. "And if _she's_ out there, please stay out of her way. Please."

"You as well," Andi hugged her daughter, neither caring what it looked like to the students nor did they have to expand on who 'she' was. Dora nodded to Flitwick and chased after Melania just as Lady Black was casting her first Patronus. "Do we know how many of each there are?"

Flitwick never got a chance to answer as an explosion rocked the village and a familiar cackle travelled through the air followed by the screams of the innocent.

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Two grims, a large grizzly bear and an elegant swan moved through the air to push back the Dementors as the group of casters fought to get to the Death Eaters who were attacking anyone they could find. The enemy's plan was as simply as it was effective. The soul-sucking creatures would push forward, keeping any resistance at bay while the Death Eaters followed up behind to strike at those who had fallen behind the lines.

Melania had counted at least twenty of the demons and knew they had began to sense her potent blood. She had been holding back, using only the normal Expecto Patronum rather than her more lethal version. The truth was it required her to want to kill, want to destroy, in order to cast properly and she hated reaching for that type of rage. It felt too much like what she had felt in the thoughts of Riddle when his soul piece had erupted from Harry's scar.

Neville's bear was impressive but he wasn't used to the power needed to constantly cast the intense spell and too many Dementors were slipping around their ring of protection to attack those behind them.

"Oh lookie, lookie, its a wittle girl wanting to pway with the big boys," a childish voice giggled from nearby and for the first time Melania's eyes settled on her other aunt. The sight of the woman, the one whose very mention could bring her aunt Cissy to tears, brought that hidden bursting free.

" _Patronum Mortifer!"_ Melania screamed, her wand pointed at the nearest Dementor. Her dark-furred Loki burst forth and ripped the unsuspecting creature into pieces before immediately jumping to the next. Fury burned reason out of Melania's thoughts and she continued to cast, attempting to fill the street with black-lined silver grims. " _Patronum Mortifer. Patronum Mortifer."_

As like when Harry and Dora had been attacked, the Dementors fled the moment they faced the threat of their own mortality and group released their hold on their Patroni to stare at the human monsters before them.

Bellatrix Lestrange, without a mask, was surrounded by fellow Death Eaters, but she only had eyes for her niece. Likewise, Melania burned to remove the stain upon her family's honour. The moment's rest ended when Bellatrix launched an Avada at her niece's heart. Melania ripped an oversized piece of rock from the ground to take the blast. The stone blew apart and she quickly banished the fragments at the Death Eaters.

"Scatter!" She shouted to her friends, following her own advice by diving away from her original position. The others followed and were saved contact with more deathly green beams of magic.

Melania's trick sliced through the Death Eaters and it was only Bella who got away unscathed. Some fell, never to rise again, while others dropped in agony as bones were broken. Half still of those standing saw a group of rescuers racing towards them from another street and left to head the group off.

"Little bitty girl wants to play?" Bella screamed, her insanity clear in the fevered light of her eyes. "Let's play!"

The fury of spells launched at Melania was breathtaking if they weren't all deadly in some way. It took all her training to merely stay alive, using a combination of movement and shields to keep from being hit. She was barely getting off a spell back for every five sent her way and didn't know how long she could last.

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Tonks immediately recognised the Death Eater she was fighting against. Alecto Carrow had lost her mask in Melania's attack and even had a slit cut on her cheek that wouldn't stop bleeding. The Carrows were sadistic and dangerous, willing to hurt anyone and everyone simply because they could, and she immediately switched over from her Auror training to what she had been taught as a Black. Take no prisoners.

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Fleur wasn't a fighter, not really, but she was more than capable of handling herself against the average wizard. After all, there was a reason she had been selected as her school's Tri-Wizard Champion. Still, she was thankful when the Death Eater trying to kill her seemed to be less about skill and more brute force. The large, bulky man seemed to have an extremely limited range of spells and she was able to keep him on his toes with a fire ball. _Don't get cocky_. She scolded herself as a nasty bone-breaking curse was barely stopped by her hastily thrown up Protego.

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Neville didn't know who it was he faced against. The squat, almost lumpy man in torn robes had an annoying giggle that he would let loose before every Avada attack. The heir to House Longbottom was thankful to Harry's constantly training about spacial awareness, as more than once he would have tripped over a piece of rubble if he had been even slightly less focused on his surroundings.

He used more shields than he wanted but he was winded and drained from fighting the horror of the Dementors. They had forced him to face the empty eyes of his parents and that only made Neville mad. Especially when he was constantly spotting Melania's opponent out of the corner of his eye.

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Melania quickly realised that playing a defensive game was tantamount to giving in when fighting Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman's insanity seemed to give her a depth of energy that would out distance almost anyone and she had at least ten years of experience on Melania for the younger girl to win the war of attrition.

Yet Lady Black was feeling more alive than she had done ever before. Her thoughts were speeding up, the blood pounded in her veins and her feral grin easily matched the deranged one her aunt wore for sheer disturbing factor. Her natural aggression took over and she swirled her wand.

" _Protego Horribilis_." She chanted and her laughter caused Bellatrix to scream in fury as suddenly every spell the woman had flung at Melania splintered and shot back at her from multiple angles.

The refracted magic might have been weaker than its original casting but it still dangerous enough for the Death Eater to have to dive and roll out of the way. Melania couldn't help but fling a few piercing arrows at the Death Eaters attacking her friends to keep the bastards on their toes and at least one sliced into the arm of the woman attacking Dora.

"Bitch!" Bella cried out as she was forced to heavily shield against an overpowered Reducto. "That was my trick."

"Sorry, auntie," Melania replied sweetly as she stepped closer, driving her insane aunt back from her own barrage of powerful spells. Until the Horribilis broke, there was very little Bellatrix could do. "But you know how it is. The old must make way for the new."

" _Avada Kedavra! Crucio! Avada Kedavra! Depulso!"_

The three Unforgivables were sent with such fury that Melania knew she couldn't duck them all. She was forced to repeat her earlier trick of blocking the terrible spells with rubble and the explosive result meant she was completely open to the simple but effective follow-up.

Melania turned sideways against the banished shards of her makeshift physical shield and had no idea that the real focus of Bellatrix's spell had been the downed body of one of her own Death Eaters. The large body flew at Melania, whose body was in the completely wrong position for a proper dive to safety, and so her ankle was easily hit by the silently cast bone-pulverising spell hidden behind the body. She landed hard on the floor, incredible pain and hard impact taking all the air out of her lungs. She had landed angled, facing away from her opponent and directly at Neville, and beyond him to Dora and Fleur. Melania wondered if seeing them fight for their lives would be the last thing she ever saw.

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Neville was bleeding from a dozen shallow cuts and his left arm was tucked close to his chest to keep a potentially broken rib from moving around too much. His opponent wasn't doing much better and looked to be barely on his feet, sheer anger at being equalled by a boy giving Amycus Carrow the strength to continue.

The Death Eater could have portkeyed out, especially with the fighting he could hear getting closer, but there was no way he was leaving before showing the insolent kid who was master.

Neville saw what happened to Melania and his heart skipped as Lestrange's wand began to glow green for the killing spell. His mind absently picked up a strange _whooshing_ sound before a man screamed in horror but Neville ignored it all as he focused on one of the faces he saw in his nightmares. He ignored the Death Eater facing him and turned, wand extended towards Lestrange. He caught Melania's wand aiming across him towards the Death Eater but he only had eyes for the dark-haired woman who had cost him so much.

" _Pertundere!"_ He roared, not even bothering with a visualisation. A great blast of magic raced from his wand towards the startled Death Eater.

Bellatrix _knew_ that spell. The Longbottom brat had dared to use one of her family's spells against her! That was the thought racing through Bellatrix's mind and it almost cost her her life, the sheer surprise of the spell taking much needed time off her attempted dive. Which meant that her side was ripped open with what could have been one of Macnair's axes. The echoes of Bellatrix Lestrange's cries of pain and anguish over being bested by a schoolboy lingered long after she vanished from the activated portkey.

Melania's spell shot past Neville's vision and he unconsciously followed it to see the strange sight of the Death Eater dropping his wand to clutch at his head until there was a crack and then pop as the man's brain exploded from the skull. _Interesting use of an enlargement charm_. He thought, blinking in utter surprise at what he had just witnessed.

"Amycus!" Alecto screamed in loss at the sight of her dead twin.

It was the last thing the woman ever saw as Dora's Reducto caused her body to explode into sharp, wet and fleshy pieces. The Auror didn't care, already racing to Melania's side with her heart in her mouth. Fleur was merely steps behind, her own enemy burning where he had fallen after she had transformed and roasted him with her fire.

Neville was still standing, staring at where the woman had exploded apart, when the Aurors and some Order members arrived. The medi-witch who had to take care of his shock first needed to remove blobs of Carrow out of his hair.

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There would be no more Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts after the attack on Hogsmeade. She had been hiding from Melania Black in the Hog's Head while trying to find the right balance between buzzed and sober.

Every time the girl was close Umbridge would see the eyes change. Each time the girl looked her way, Umbridge saw the beast inside that wanted to hunt and kill her. This was why she had done everything she could to destroy the werewolves, because they scared her so badly. Yet the worse thing was, Melania Black was some type of super werewolf.

Umbridge had managed to, somehow, bribe one of Hogwarts' elves to switch out the girl's cutlery for pure silver. It had taken a long time – oh, how she hated dealing with those foul, loathsome little creatures – but eventually, the thing agreed. Why a school such as Hogwarts used those disgusting things, she would never know, and this one even wore a sock with its end cut off as an ear warmer!

The exchange did nothing. There had been not a single reaction to the silver at all. Umbridge had come to only one conclusion. The Blacks had somehow managed to merge their prestigious bloodline with those terrible beasts in such a way that they got all the strengths and none of their weaknesses.

The girl had been active during the full moon, completely without a change, yet still there was the tell-tale eyes. The beast's eyes. She couldn't take it much longer. For all her work in destroying the nightmares, House Black had done the impossible. And with no weaknesses for her to exploit, there was no way she could prove it to the Wizengamot.

What she, and Melania, would never know was that three specific elves had taken it upon themselves to add little extras to her meals that helped her 'see the light'.

Her wild drunk and drugged thoughts were interrupted by screams coming from outside the pub. She gingerly stood from her dark corner and carefully shuffled to the window as the barman carefully watched her every move. Umbridge looked on in fear as she saw Dementors fall to a strangely coloured Patronus. She finally understood where two of the Dementors Cornelius had sent after Potter had gone.

It was the final straw for the confounded woman. Enough was enough. With a scared hiccup, she pulled open the door of the Hog's Head and ran the entire way to Hogwarts and her office. She would be out of the country by the end of the day and her disappearance was the next step in the downfall of the Minister.

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 **SN: And there you have it. Snape now knows Mel's biggest secret, the DA is going to be a thing and Neville just whipped Bella's arse. While it might not seem like it, this chapter is a jumping off point for the rest of the story.**

 **The next chapter will be posted on 30th/31st and every Sunday/Monday beyond that. No more long delays.**


	33. More Dead Death Eaters

**AN: Firstly, this chapter is only half the normal amount. There's a lot of fallout from the Hogsmeade attack that simply didn't fit here unless I forced it and I also wanted the events in this chapter to not get overlooked. And once again, thank you for all those who caught the "Old/New make way" error in the last chapter.**

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More Dead Death Eaters

 _7th October 1995_

Filius Flitwick was a man used to battles. To the Wizarding World, he was a half-goblin who had been given a Hogwarts education, Sorted into Ravenclaw even when the Hat had debated on Gryffindor (with the reverse being true for his good friend Minerva McGonagall), and went on to be a world renown Duelling Champion. To the goblins, he was the son of a warrior clan who had been given as much training in the hallowed halls of Gringotts as any full-blooded goblin. So when the screams began, it was not himself that Filius worried over but the innocents caught in the line of fire to the monsters rampaging through Hogsmeade.

He, along with Andromeda Black-Tonks, had saved as many students as they could until both Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members arrived. It was then that both sprinted back to the main street of Hogsmeade where they knew a battle was raging between Death Eaters and the people they truly cared about. Filius' goblin eyesight allowed him to see the end of the battle even from the far distance and he was impressed by both the unique use of the enlargement charm as well as the power young Mister Longbottom had put into the spell that took out Bellatrix Lestrange.

Although shorter than his compatriots, Filius was one of the first to get to the survivors and was amused to find the mysterious Lady Black being berated by Black-Tonks the younger.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Dora practically screamed as she and Fleur were supporting Melania. The girl in question winced as she tried putting all her weight on the twisted ankle. "You've been training for months! I know you're better than that."

"I need to learn how to compartmentalise," Melania answered calmly, throwing her head back in order to get her long dark locks out of her eyes. Filius could see that her pupils were slightly wide from the adrenaline and shock of battle. "I kept getting distracted with worrying how you three were doing."

"Oh, chérie," Fleur one-armed hugged her friend and Dora did the same on the other side, resting their heads against Lady Black's shoulder so they could assure each other that they were alive.

Andromeda moved past Filius to pull all three girls into a group hug, the relief at seeing everyone still alive evident in their sagging shoulders.

Melania gave Filius a smile as her aunt finally let her go and then looked past him to the lone Gryffindor who was getting treatment from a medical Auror. "How's Neville?"

"In shock but unharmed otherwise," the calm voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt answered as the tall Senior Auror approached.

Mel blinked and actually took the time to look around at who had shown up. McGonagall was standing beside her lion as he was being assessed by the Healer while Kingsley already had parchment and quill ready for a statement. Professor Flitwick knelt down to conjure a splint and reinforced boot to support her injured ankle and she gave the smaller man a smile. "Thanks, Professor, I didn't feel like being floated up to Hogwarts."

"Lady Black," Shacklebolt interrupted to draw her attention back to the dark skinned man. Melania mentally winced when she caught sight of Dumbledore quickly approaching. "I'm under the impression that it was you who sounded the alarm."

"More my familiar, actually," she corrected with as much of a shrug as she could perform with both arms wrapped around her two closest friends. "She saw the attack coming from the other end of the village and then I caught sight of Malfoy looking highly suspicious."

"Now, now, Miss Black, you shouldn't go around accusing people," Dumbledore rambled in his condensing manner. Aside from looking a little winded, the man was remarkably neat and tidy. Melania glared at him and from Kingsley's frown, it looked like he wasn't too pleased with the interruption either.

"Draco Malfoy was hanging around an alleyway rather than walking around the shops and then looked down the street to where the attack was coming from before the Dementors even showed up. Next thing I knew he had vanished," she spelt out the situation to the elder idiot in the faint hope of actually breaking through the man's short-sightedness. "As I said before, he acted suspiciously. I _never_ actually accused him of anything."

"Insinuation is enough, Miss Black."

Both Melania and Dora glared at the man as they remembered all the times Harry had been the subject of rumour and insinuations but had never been protected.

"Headmaster," Kingsley said in a clear, direct tone while glaring at the man. Madame Bones had been extremely blunt in her message to him over how much got shared with Dumbledore and the Order. "You are no longer the Chief Warlock and as such have no place in this criminal investigation. If you can't keep quiet then I'll be forced to send you on your way."

Dora's frown mirrored Dumbledore's if only for a different reason. She didn't like how the Auror was still allowing the old man in on the investigation if he kept quiet. She briefly wondered if she needed to tell her soon to be step-mother about it only to feel a slight squeeze. She looked to her right and received a slight nod in return. Melania wasn't surprised at how easily Dora had read her face.

Dumbledore's frown came more from the reminder of having lost his Chief Warlock seat than the mild rebuke. He knew Shacklebolt was loyal to him and the Order and so indicated he would keep quiet.

"So your familiar saw the attack and warned you?" Shacklebolt looked to clarify. It wasn't totally unknown for a familiar bond to be that strong but it was certainly unusual.

"Correct," the Lady Black nodded, dropping her arms from around Fleur and Dora's waist in order to stand tall. "As I said, I then caught sight of Draco Malfoy acting somewhat suspicious but I can't tell you if actually knew of the attack."

 _Can't tell but can almost guarantee_ , more than one person thought.

"And that's when you sounded the alert?"

"Well I wasn't going to invite the bastards to tea and crumpets, was I?" Melania scoffed, ignoring Andi's frown at her lack of decorum. The more Mel spoke, the more she took on the mantle of The Black. "I did what every right minded civilian should do, Auror. I looked to get aid for the innocents and then confronted the terrorists that stalk our nation."

Shacklebolt looked torn between indignation at the attitude and applauding her for the words. The questioning had drawn a small crowd and he had no doubts that the _Prophet_ would be given the quote at some point.

"Thank you, Lady Black, I think that's all I need for now."

He was turning back to the other Aurors before she even had a chance to reply and Melania's arms slipped around her friends' waists as the strength drained away.

"I think it's time to get back to Hogwarts," Filius commanded and Melania couldn't agree more.

The Auror treating Neville brought the still stunned boy over to the group and they made a silent march back to the school. Dumbledore had been left behind, dismissed by everyone much to his displeasure, but there was not much he could do about it. They were almost at the school's gates when Melania turned to her aunt.

"I need more work on focusing," she admitted with haunted eyes. "I got too worried about everyone else and lost my situational awareness."

"That comes in time, Miss Black," the Duelling Champion answered for Andromeda. "You can practice as much as you wish but the only true experience will actually help. Unfortunately, I fear that is something you may just gain before this struggle is over."

"I do believe you're right, Professor."

Any more words were cut off by a blonde missile racing down the path. Luna's pale eyes were swimming with tears and she launched herself at Neville. The subdued boy caught her on instinct and was then shocked back to awareness when she proceeded to snog him back to his senses. Everyone could tell the moment this happened. His arms wrapped tighter around her slender body and he began kissing her back with just as much enthusiasm.

It eventually took the sniggers of a familiar group of Slytherins to pull the two love birds apart. Melania turned to her Court and saw the relief she felt over their safety returned in their eyes.

"We're going to have to call together the House," she commanded rather than go through any chatter. The adults watched with interest as she took control with ease despite her obvious exhaustion. Andi couldn't help the pride that swelled up as her niece used all of the family's training. "This is an attack that the Alliance will no take willingly."

The others nodded their agreement as their Queen turned to her close friend. "Fleur, this is Concepta Zabini. Her father was the son of a Veela but she hasn't had any training."

Fleur's eyes widened at the news and immediately nodded to the other beautiful girl. She would be speaking to her mother as soon as possible. There was no way a child of Veela blood should have been left alone for so long. Concepta was looking at both Melania and Fleur as though they were her personal saviours. The dark-haired girl turned to her left and this time spoke as Lady Black.

"Dora, I'm going to get in touch with father for us to speak with Amelia about her taking the Minister position. I know she loves being DMLE Head but we need a Minister who actually _knows_ what that department needs right now, not someone who could end up keeping her hogtied through pig-headedness or being in someone else's pocket."

Filius was stunned at what he was watching. Very few people could push their brush with death aside in the manner Melania Black was doing in order to do right by both friends and country. He curiously watched as Neville, with Miss Lovegood wrapped around his waist, came forward with a hand extended.

"Lady Black, I, Scion Longbottom, wish to thank you for what you've done for me today. Your tutoring has helped me face a lifelong nightmare. House Longbottom owes you a debt."

Filius' eyes widened slightly as the pieces fell into place. _So it was she who taught him that spell_ , he realised. Melania smiled and gladly took the offered limb.

"There is no debt between family, Neville," she beamed at the teenage man in front of her. "Besides, I owe you and Luna here some thanks of my own."

Neville frowned as they released hands. Luna looked at the raven-haired girl for a second before dazzling all those present with one of her wonderful smiles.

"Well you saved my life against Bellatrix and Luna's got me off my arse to do this."

 _This_ was Melania's hand quickly reaching out to cup the back of Dora's neck. The metamorph Professor was stunned by the touch and didn't react fast enough to stop Melania from pulling her into a deep kiss. Whistles and cheers rose up around the group while Andi simply snorted at her niece's actions. Only Flitwick heard her words.

"Just like her father."

Dora was in a daze when Melania finally let her go. Both had red cheeks from embarrassment as well as other emotions. The Slytherin turned to her group and nodded towards the castle as if she didn't just kiss the sanity out of their DADA Professor.

"Well, need to get to the Infirmary before Poppy has even more reason to tell me off."

The Court laughed and encircled their Queen in a show of support and protection while Neville and Luna walked behind. The Longbottom heir was shaking his head at the recent events while Luna's smile had yet to fade. It meant a still stunned Dora was left with Fleur, the medi-Auror, Flitwick and her mother. The latter of which was smirking.

"I believe the ball, as the muggles say, is in your court, my dearest daughter," she laughed, pulling Dora into a tight hug that betrayed the fear that Andi had felt since the attack.

Her mother's arms snapped Dora out of her daze and she held on tightly, not in the least ashamed to feel the relief of her mum being safe and healthy after the scare. The Auror merely chuckled, nodded to Flitwick and stepped out of the gates to Apparate back to the Ministry.

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Poppy Pomfrey had indeed not been happy with Melania for delaying medical attention and she barely admitted that Professor Flitwick's supportive boot kept any more damage done to the twisted ankle. Melania merely took the scolding and muttered comments with a smile and patience born from her time under the Healer's care as Harry. It came as no surprise to the Slytherin that she was being forced into staying overnight out of punishment for not seeking out the woman sooner. Melania merely rolled her eyes when Poppy wasn't looking and got her friends to keep an eye on each other.

Sirius would show up as soon as they heard of the attack. The hug from her father did more for Melania's health than anything Poppy had done on her ankle.

.

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oOoOo

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.

 _Lestrange Manor_

Lord Augustine Lestrange, last of the Four Kings of the Wizengamot, was sitting in his reading room with a glass of Firewhiskey when he heard an unholy explosion of noise coming from the parlour. The man moved faster than his years would have indicated and was out of his office, wand in hand, before his brain caught up to what his instincts had him doing.

"Damn Gryffindor," he muttered to himself as he stalked the hallway of his ancestral home. Lestrange Manor was a beautiful building that had been partially funded and built with the help of the Founders and Peverell families. The family's loyalty had held strong until Augustine's brother and nephews decided to fall in with a bastard Half-blood. When Lord Lestrange came upon the source of all the noise he ammended his previous rant. "Damn Death Eaters."

Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange were bloody and battered, their robes torn and even smoking as they raided the nearest drinks cabinet.

"And just what the hell do you think the two of you are doing?" Augustine snarled loud enough to cause both to jump in surprise and spin around to face him. Rabastan fired a curse that went so high it almost hit the ceiling while his useless brother dropped a crystal decanter of Polish Vodka. _That's worth more than you do, boy._ "You look like you've been whoring your way through Knockturn Alley!"

"Shut it old man," Rodolphus snarled, scooping up the decanter and chugging the clear liquid. Augustine's eyebrow raised at the sight.

"I'm surprised your wife isn't here to debauch with you."

"That fucking squib Longbottom," Rabastan snapped at his uncle, downing what looked like Firewhiskey. _At least this idiot had the good graces to use a glass,_ Augustine thought. "He did some weird shit and ripped half her back out. Last I heard Bella was screaming out it was some Black spell the Blood Traitorous bitch shared."

Augustine pinched the bridge of his nose at the utter waste of genetic material that stood in front of him. He activated the wards and gave the two useless slobs a glare, the wand he was still holding beginning to glow. "The two of you will explain to me exactly what it is you're rambling about or I'll call up a minor demon to torment your dreams."

The brothers blanched at the threat. Although they had both come up lacking in regards to the Lestrange Family Magic – namely dealing with demons and other, even Darker, creatures – they knew their uncle was _extremely_ proficient in it.

The tale was not pleasant hearing for the ageing Lord. An attack on the students of Hogwarts was a disgusting and cowardly act while his political senses was dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity of the move considering the ultimatum the Greys had given the 'Dark Lord.' Augustine knew that this single act would push the entire Grey faction into the welcoming bosom of the Potter-Black Alliance. Augustine was also familiar with the spell that had almost taken out his niece-in-law. He had see his dear friend Arcturus use the exact one to liquefy a group of Grindelwald fighters.

" _Contrarium Mutat!_ " Lord Lestrange snapped the moment the two idiots finished their tale. The royal blue spell hit Rabastan who was immediately turned inside out while remaining alive. For a brief moment the lungs and heart worked as normal even as they glistening in the open air and then the body collapsed in a bloody pulp. Rodolphus never even had a chance to react as his uncle's next spell hit him between the eyes. " _Imperio!_ Now tell me where your wife is."

"She is in the Dark Lord's hideout," the empty voice of someone under the mind-control curse announced. "It is under a Fidelius."

Lord Lestrange snarled at the answer and mentally ran through his checklist of weapons and potions. It had been a habit of all Four Kings to always carry emergency provisions just in case yet he knew he wasn't as fully stocked as he might have been. Still, he was sure it would be enough to make a dent in the Dark Idiot's forces. Augustine took a moment to really think about what he was going to do and whether the benefit was worth the cost. That equation took no time and and he nodded to himself. _The Four Kings will be reunited again soon,_ he sighed to himself.

"You will Apparate me inside the lair's wards," he commanded his nephew while flicking his wand at the slowly dying mass that had been his other relation.

There was a sucking sound as something shifted in the bloody gloop and a torn piece of skin can shooting towards Augustine. He easily caught the Rabastan's Dark Mark and stepped towards Rodolphus. The man's will was so weak that even about to break the Fidelius of his Master wasn't enough to give him the strength to shake off the Imperius he was under. Augustine smirked at the Death Eater took his arm, knowing full well that the dominance of the Lord position within the Lestrange family absolutely helped.

The two Side-Apparated and Augustine immediately sent a piercing hex through his nephew's sternum, instantly killing the man, before The Lestrange had even taken the time to look at his new location. He scoffed when he recognised the manor in front of him as belonging to the Malfoys.

"Let's hope you have insurance, Narcissa," he mused as he stalked towards the main entrance. A group of Death Eaters were exiting the Manor only to be cut down by his overpowered Ribbon Cutter, the purple spell marking the stone wall and blasting the door into the house. "Knock Knock!"

Augustine sent powerful Confringos in every direction to cause destruction and mayhem. A rash of young Death Eaters fell to the man's experienced wand as they walked into or next to the explosive spells. A growl off to the side had the experienced fighter jumping and rolling just before the shaggy body of Fenrir Greyback flew into the space he had just been standing in.

" _Aeterna!_ " Augustine roared and instantly both inside and out of Malfoy Manor became cloaked in the darkness of the eternal abyss.

It was a short-term spell that sent everyone without Lestrange blood frozen at facing the true meaning of infinite nothingness. It was also incredibly powerful and Augustine almost collapsed at using such a spell after so long on the sidelines. That brief moment of weakness didn't stop him pulling out a specially charmed silver dagger and banishing it directly into the werewolf's heart just as the small section of the Abyss returned to whence it came. The monster's body shuddered at the impact and the beast had a moment to grin, his clawed hand reaching up as though to pull the offending blade free when the enchantments activated. The dagger exploded, a silver frag grenade that blew apart Greyback's entire chest cavity. The most dangerous werewolf in Europe was dead long before his body hit the floor.

Augustine was on one knee and looked around at the stunned faces of Dolohov, Macnair and the rest of the whelp Riddle's followers. The attack and Abyss had caused them to momentarily freeze in place.

"Send that Half-blood bastard my regards," Augustine laughed, activating an emergency portkey just as fifteen curses raced towards him. He landed in a painful heap and continued to laugh even as he coughed up blood.

There was a reason why breaking a Fidelius wasn't done.

It was a laughing and bleeding Lord Lestrange that Narcissa Black and Remus Lupin found as they raced from Grimmauld Place's library. The black-haired beauty swallowed painfully as her wand moved over one of her grandfather's best friends.

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oOoOo

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.

 _8th October 1995_

Melania was sitting on the Infirmary bed board out of her mind as she waited for release. She was pretty sure that Poppy was keeping her longer than needed as a punishment for not immediately seeking treatment and she had to smile at the thought of what the Healer would have said if it had been Harry. The good mood vanished when a serious Sirius entered the room.

"What's wrong?" Fear shot through the Lady Black at the heavy expression on her father's face.

"Hey pup," Sirius wrapped her in his arms and just held her tightly. "Apparently Neville's attack did a right number on Bellatrix. Good job in teaching him the spell, by the way."

He let her go and sat on the bed beside her hip, immediately taking her hand in his own. She didn't bother replying, knowing that what was coming wasn't going to be as pleasant.

"To start with, Amelia is _not_ happy about your plan to put her in the Minister's chair," the light shining in his grey eyes was partly out of a well done prank and partly from the love he felt for the woman in question. "And since you're doing it as Lady Black, you'll have to meet with her in a semi-official capacity. She wants you to visit the Ossuary next Saturday. We can takes Susan so it isn't all dull politics."

"That's fine," she replied while waiting for the real reason for the visit. It didn't take long to come with Sirius taking a deep fortifying breath.

"After Neville left his mark on Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan ended up Lestrange Manor to grew drunk and stay away from my insane cousin. Lord Lestrange was there at the time."

"Is he okay?" Melania had been keeping a somewhat steady communication with the elder Lestrange and had fallen in love with the stories he regaled her about her two grandfathers. The thought of losing those talks caused her chest to tighten.

"Apparently they boasted about attacking Hogsmeade. Lord Lestrange didn't take that well."

She winced, knowing the man had far too much honour to let that one slide. "What happened?"

"He killed Rabastan and then forced Rodolphus to take him to their base. Both Lestranges are dead as well as some lackeys and Greyback," Sirius paused and the heavy atmosphere kept Melania from celebrating at the deaths. She knew her father would not be so melancholy if that was all. "Mel, you know how a Fidelius works, don't you?"

"Of course," she frowned at the question. "It puts the Secret in the Secret-Keeper's soul and only they are able to give it out."

"Exactly. But what isn't well known is what happens if someone is able to force themselves into knowing the secret."

"Like what Augustine did?"

"Yes," Sirius whispered, looking out of the window before turning back to his daughter. "The charm is designed for the ultimate protection. If someone gains access to the secret who hasn't been given it by the Keeper then magic takes a price."

"What do you mean, 'magic takes a price'?" This time Melania's voice hardened as her fears rose.

"If someone is Apparated into a Fideliused building by accident and then leaves, they simply forget what happens. The secret isn't broken. But Lestrange deliberately forced Rodolphus into taking him to wherever they are and then stayed there to fight. Melania, pup, the magic saw that as the ultimate attack on the Fidelius. Lord Lestrange died last night."

Sirius Black, rogue and prankster, held his daughter as she lost her Slytherin mask and cried over the death of the man who had become a grandfather to her. The tears tore into Sirius' heart and he swore he would do everything in his power to keep from ever hearing the heart wrenching noise again.

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oOoOo

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While Melania Black was crying over the death of Lord Lestrange, four of Hogwarts professors were meeting about the very same girl.

Bathsheba Babbling and her close friend Septima Vector sat on one side of the table while Filius Flitwick led a very confused Dora Black-Tonks into the room. The two women immediately began to perform the intricate wand movements to cover the room in high-level security wards. Flitwick raised a busy eyebrow at their action and then added a few of his own while Dora looked between the three teachers as though they were mad. When three eyebrows where then raised in return she threw her hands in the air.

"Oh for Morgana's sake!" She cried out and then threw out some Auror wards to add to the mix. "Is there a reason we've now made this room as protected as a Gringotts vault?"

It was only a slight exaggeration. The other two witches merely raised their wands and gave simultaneous magical oaths not to reveal any secrets revealed to them in the room. That alone took Dora but surprised but it was nothing compared to what came next.

"Septima and I don't really care about the specifics..." Babbling began, only to be interrupted by her close friend.

"Speak for yourself, I would love to know how it was done," the Arithmancy Professor mumbled.

" _Anyway._ We don't care the how but we would like to know," Bathsheba took a deep breath to steady herself and then pushed forward. "Is, somehow, Melania Black Harry Potter?"

Dora never expected _that_ question, just as she would never have expected Flitwick to speak up.

"Yes," the half-goblin stated without a shred of doubt in his voice. Dora could only stare at the man in complete shock who simply looked as though it was obvious. "What? That boy was my Apprentice for a year and I traded wands with him almost every day. Do you really think I wouldn't notice my own work when Miss Black duelled young Malfoy? And I know for a fact Minerva suspects after spending so long talking to the girl over the summer."

" _WHAT?!_ "

"Oh yes," Filius chuckled at the young metamorph's shock. Dora's skin and hair had turned completely white from what she was hearing. He couldn't help but enjoy teasing her. "Apparently Miss Black threw out one too many 'Harry told me' lines about things that were inconsequential and it got Minerva thinking. Well, that and the fact the Sirius Black we taught would _never_ have abandoned his only daughter."

Dora could only work her mouth up and down as she stared at the small man who merely shrugged as if to ask _what can you do?_ She turned to the other women who were quickly chuckling at her reaction.

"When Mister Potter tested for my class he used some very unusual methods to recreate spells," Vector explained with a smile as she remembered the moment in question. "Miss Black uses the exact same methods when breaking down and combining spell equations. They are the only two non-NEWT students I have ever known to do so."

"Septima brought the idea to me and I checked Potter's work from last year to Miss Black's this," Babbling added with a shake of the head as she wondered just how she found herself in such a conversation. "While the penmanship might be completely different, this year's work, both correct and the errors, are exactly what I would have expected from the person who I taught last year."

Dora scrubbed her hands over her face as she tried to reconcile the fact that the family's greatest secret wasn't so secret at all.

"What do you plan on doing now?" She asked, hoping to Morgana that she wouldn't need to attempt obliviate the three teachers.

"Absolutely nothing," Flitwick assured the nervous Auror after staring at the other two and getting agreeable nods. "I believe this conversation is merely to let you know that we're aware of the basic situation and will help keep Miss Black's secret."

Although the half-goblin wondered how his former student would cope with being told that both he and Pomona Sprout knew she had been masquerading as Natalia the previous year. _Best keep that in reserve,_ he thought with a chuckle. _Never know when I might want to prank little Dora._

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oOoOo

* * *

 **SN: So there you have it. The last of the Four Kings is no more, we now have more people in the know and both of these events were always going to happen.**

 **Draco has put his foot in it concerning both the Greys and Slytherin House, you know Riddle won't take the two attacks lying down and Dora has some _serious_ thinking to do in relation to our Melania.**


	34. Reaction and Action

**AN:** **I can't tell you how happy I am about how well you've taken to the Four Kings and Augustine. To those who would love to know more, I have a number of stories that will enrich those characters.**

 **About the attack on Hogsmeade - This Voldemort is a bit shaken by what happened at the cemetery and the fact Harry injured him. His pride had been wounded, his wand was no more and he wanted to make a statement. When Bellatrix demanded an attack to find Melania, he agreed so that he could go out and find a new wand. Neither he nor Bella bothered to think about the fact Draco had agreed to the Greys' deal.**

 **And now to the fallout. Enjoy.**

* * *

Reaction and Action

 _10th October 1995 – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Hogwarts was aflame with rumours almost from the moment the Hogsmeade attack had been repelled. There had been enough witnesses to the battle between Melania, her friends, and the Death Eaters for the rumour mill to get most of the details right. Although, just how it was that all those claiming to actually be there to see Neville 'the squib' Longbottom take out Bellatrix Lestrange was a mystery to Melania. The Lady Black cared nought for the rumour mill and everything for the weight that seemed to have dropped off Neville's shoulders. The changes that had been implemented the previous year had fully taken root and Scion Longbottom walked the halls of Hogwarts with his head high, his parents avenged and his stuttering a thing of the past.

Neville had cried at the news that the Lestrange brothers were dead. He then went on to surprise Melania by promising that the name of Augustine Lestrange would be remembered as a Friend of House Longbottom for years to come and that the slate was now wiped clean between the two Houses. In fact, she had barely kept the determined Gryffindor from swearing allegiance to her and the hinted at new Lord Lestrange. Somehow she didn't think Augusta Longbottom was ready for _that_ just yet.

The attack and subsequent change in Neville had also brought about a shift through the rest of the student population. The Defense Association was now a fully functioning club that would have its first meeting Saturday and Sunday to assess the interest and levels of those who joined. Melania had apologised for already having her weekends booked but promised to attend at least some of the lessons. There was no doubt in people's minds just how popular the meeting would prove considering Neville's rising popularity.

A popularity that was mirrored by the ostracisation of one Draco Malfoy. Melania's report about the Bouncing Ferret acting suspiciously had also gotten around the school and, as per usual, people were coming to conclusions. It was now time for Melania to use the shift in status to her advantage.

Severus Snape, Hogwarts Professor for Potions and Slytherin Head of House was not a happy man as he silently stalked behind his snake. He had tried venomously to argue against her planned actions until she fired the one question that had him surrender.

 _If it was anyone but me, would you be fighting so hard against this?_

So it was that Severus Snape was just a bystander as Lady Black stalked into the Slytherin Common Room as though she owned it.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy," her voice rang out through the room to cut off all chatter. Not that the Common Room was exceptionally noisy since they _were_ Slytherins. "For crimes against Slytherin House, for crimes against the innocent, and for breaking the deal between us, the Greys and the Dark Lord, I, Melania Cassiopeia Lilith Black challenge you to an open duel!"

There was a moment where it seemed as though all the air was sucked out of the room and then every pair of eyes turned from the angry raven-haired witch to her blond cousin. The older years and Melania's Court were already up and moving some of the slower students out of the firing line. Spells were about to be fired whether Scion Malfoy accepted or not.

Draco was taken aback by the call-out. He knew the bitch in front of him had seen him just before the attack since that was what his aunt Bella had wanted. If Draco had learned nothing else in his short life, he at least knew not to give Bellatrix Lestrange _exactly_ what she wanted. Yet somehow things had gone completely wrong with Longbottom and Black declared heroes along with the Blood Traitor's freak daughter and the creature. Draco so desperately wanted to agree, to put the girl in front of him in her place but knew things needed to be done slowly. He opened his mouth to decline when Melania smirked, her green-grey eyes shining with the exact same look his aunt would give him during his training. He could hear the taunting words.

 _You're a worthless bug little boy and I'm going to enjoy playing with you before you die._

"I accept," he snarled, desperate to prove that smirk wrong. To prove to those eyes that he was worth something. "Everything is permitted."

This time the Slytherins did gasp as one. An Open Duel challenge meant that the challenged was allowed to dictate the rules of engagement. Draco's words meant that now everything including the Unforgivables were allowed. Practically no one expected the feral smirk that spread across Melania's lips.

"Agreed. Right here, right now."

Challenge issued. Accepted and rules were chosen. Accepted and located demanded. The two were now honour-bound to complete the agreement.

The entirety of House Slytherin made its way to the training area and then below to the challenge pit. By the time Severus was putting up the wards that kept the spells from hurting anyone not involved, even those Slytherins who had been elsewhere in the castle had somehow managed to hear about what was happening and arrive.

Melania never took her eyes off her Head of House who simply gave her the barest of nods to indicate he had done as she had asked. She let out a small sigh of relief in knowing that Riddle and his masked menaces would never see what was about to happen. The privacy ward meant that no memory could be shared and it could only be word of mouth that could reveal what was about to happen.

"Draco Malfoy, Melania Black, the challenge has been given and accepted," Snape's smooth tones silenced those who dared whisper. He was standing just outside the duelling wards that had been set in a circle. The Court looked on with worry even as they believed in their Queen. "This is an Honour Duel, to end when one of you is unable to continue in whatever manner that ends up being. No limits have been set. As Head of Slytherin House I say only this; Begin!"

There was no repeat of the respect the two had given each other in their DADA duel. Instead, their spells were flying before Snape finished pronouncing the last word. Draco's arrogant tone spat curse after curse with practically all of them far Darker than anything taught at Hogwarts. Melania only spoke those spells she needed to.

"Come on little Dragon," she cackled at her opponent and Severus shivered at just how much like her insane aunt the Lady Black was in that moment. "Show me what you've got. Show me what a big man you are after all these years hiding behind daddy's robes."

A blood-boiling hex was dodged, a Sectumsempra was blocked by a stone slab, and Melania swatted away Draco's attempt at the Dolohov Special.

"That's it," she smirked at a cutting curse nicked her shoulder as she moved out of the way. Draco's rage had fuelled the spell to be larger than normal which was the only reason why it caught her. It wasn't an easy battle but she was holding her own while Draco was bleeding from a number of wounds. "This is an Honour Duel, Malfoy, I know you're at least _aware_ of what that word means. All I'm seeing is a wittle boy trying to be like dear old daddy."

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_ Draco roared, only for the Killing Curse to be blocked by more conjured stone.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Melania announced in a far more normal voice.

Her entire posture changed, her hair whipped wildly as her magic rose and suddenly her spells were flying faster than they had before. Draco was caught flat-footed, never once believing that his opponent had been scouting him out. Her change in attitude now meant it was for keeps.

The spells continued for almost a minute. Melania's hip was slightly burnt, her dodging had caused her to roll into the tail end of another dark cutting curse – although thankfully not a Sectumsempra - and the duelling pit was awash with rumble. It had been a hex and curse battle with almost zero transfiguration and that didn't look to change in its final stages. There wasn't a single person watching who didn't realise the two were outright trying to kill each other.

An Auror spell bounced off the floor to explode off to Draco's side. The magical version of a flash-bang caught the teenage boy by surprise and he never got a chance to recover. A widely cast bone breaker destroyed everything in his forearm, causing him to scream in pain, only to have the broken pieces fuse together by the deliberately shoddily cast battle-field healing spell that was its follow up. The limb would require the bones to be vanished if full recovery was to be achieved.

A piercing hex ripped through Draco's hip and was powerful enough to cause him to spin off his feet and crash hard on the stone floor. To Draco's credit, he never let go of his wand and continued to keep himself in the duel. Most of his spells had become shielding and it was obvious that Melania was now toying with the boy.

A cutting curse sliced off a chunk of his blond hair, a spell hitting the floor in front of a kneeling Draco caused chips of ancient stone to slice his face, and finally, a vastly overpowered Expelliarmus lifted him into the air and sent him crashing into the protective wards. The magic shock caused him to cry out in pain just before blacking out. Melania's wand was already away by the time eyes turned from Draco back to her.

She was breathing heavily, bleeding in half a dozen places and was sure a rib had been bruised during a period when she spent more time trying to dodge than shield. Melania mentally snorted as she realised she was already critiquing her performance.

The entirety of Slytherin House had just seen Draco Malfoy decimated and they all believed that the victory could have been that much more dangerous to the blond if she had wanted. Some of the Slytherins blinked while others would swear that there was no pop of Apparition. Yet all agreed that Melania's shoulder was suddenly the perch of a very pissed off looking raven.

"I am Lady Black, I am Regent Potter," she announced in a voice that reached up to the very dorms. Her magic pulsed and in return Hogwarts' pulsed back. "I am Slytherin Queen, and I will protect, avenge or destroy every single one of you. Do not cross me, do not endanger the innocents, and I promise you that we will drag Slytherin House to the heights it deserves to be!"

A cheer rose that would have put Gryffindor House to shame while the mixed coloured eyes of Muninn took in all those who looked to be a danger to her bonded.

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oOoOo

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"I don't even know where to start with this, Severus," Poppy Pomfrey sighed as she looked down at the broken form of Draco Malfoy. School Healer and Potions Master were protected by a privacy ward and screen to keep the other occupant of an Infirmary bed from overhearing. "She could have killed him."

Snape snorted at the statement as he ran a gaze down the parchment holding the results of Poppy's scans. He was surprised to see the results of a handful of curses he hadn't actually seen Melania cast. Some of the potions required for a full healing would take days to brew.

"It was a duel that Draco decided required no rules, Poppy," he once again informed her. The woman was older than she looked and had treated a young Snape from the effects of Gryffindor bullies and a drunken father more than once during his education. "And I'm afraid to say that this was a warning. A warning he will ignore. I doubt Draco will live to see the end of the year."

Poppy stared open mouthed at the callous way her colleague was talking about the death of a student.

"Surely he wouldn't challenge her again? Not after _this!_ " She waved her free hand at the unconscious boy as if Snape didn't know what she was talking about. The man was already shaking his head before she finished talking.

"You and he are forgetting one simple thing," he informed the medi-witch and ignored the glare he got in response. "Draco may be the future Lord Malfoy but he is the son of a Black. It is Lady Black who did this to him and it will be Lady Black Draco attempts to kill in revenge. Please excuse me, I have potions to brew."

Her thoughts came to a screeching stop as she remembered well the legends of what the Head of the Blacks did those those who turned their wand against their own blood. She turned back to her patient and, for the first time since he had been brought to her domain, thought Draco Malfoy had got off lightly.

Severus walked away from the stunned woman and out from behind the security screen. His gaze was immediately drawn to the bed containing said Lady Black and where her family gathered around. Narcissa had deliberately sat with her back to Draco's bed and had her hand held by the werewolf. Snape nodded to the group and stalked out of the Infirmary, knowing that it now time to inform Dumbledore of what had occurred in the Snake Pit. It was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to.

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oOoOo

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 _11th October 1995 – Headmaster's office_

Melania was sitting regally, Muninn on her uninjured shoulder, and staring blankly at the idiot in front of her. In the Headmaster's 'infinite wisdom', she had been declared fit for classes and forced out of the Infirmary much to Pomfrey's anger. Melania had some nice new scars and a shoulder that wouldn't stop aching but she wasn't going to let the manipulative twinkle-eyed bastard see her pain.

"Miss Black, I called you here in the hope you can provide me with a satisfactory explanation for what occurred yesterday," Dumbledore finally said after five minutes of the two staring at each other. There was no Severus Snape or indeed any other person in the room. Dumbledore had simply claimed she was fit to leave and had the two of them Floo from the Infirmary to his office without warning or chance of getting aid. "Otherwise I'll be forced to expel you for the attempted murder of a student and call in the Aurors."

"Would you really, Headmaster?" Melania's thumb had curled into her pain to brush against the invisible Delacour ring. "And do you think the DMLE will arrest me?"

"Draco Malfoy is in the Infirmary because of your actions."

"We were _both_ in the Infirmary after the results of a legal duel," she corrected. "You simply decided I no longer had to be there."

"No," the old man smirked behind his plaited beard. "From what I understand, you attacked Mister Malfoy and he was only barely able to keep you from killing him before help arrived."

Melania looked at the old man in front of her and allowed her expression to slip from 'Miss Black' to 'Lady Black' as she rested her elbows on the arm of the chair and cupped her hands at chest level. One fingertip continued to press against the hidden ring. Dumbledore immediately noticed the shift of attitude and his eyes twinkled for a split second.

"What is it you want, Dumbledore?"

"Harry Potter," he demanded as though blackmailing a student was an everyday occurrence to the man.

"Why?"

"That is between myself and Harry," Dumbledore tried only to frown when she burst into a cruel laughter.

"And just how or why do you think I would give him to you without a reason, hmm?" She smirked, enjoying the flash of annoyance he couldn't hide.

Albus Dumbledore sighed and leaned back to assess his opponent. He was half tempted to force the girl to reveal Harry's location but she had hinted at a Fidelius being involved and couldn't risk the charm turning its magic against her. He sat in silence as he worked over every angle he could conceive of to avoid explaining anything. He was eventually forced to sigh at his conclusions.

"I need an oath you will never tell anyone of what I'm about to tell you."

"And just _how_ am I supposed to convince Harry to speak to you if I can't explain why?" She fought hard to resist smirking when Dumbledore actually snarled in frustration at the logical argument.

"Fine!" He snapped with all pretence of a grandfatherly Headmaster ripped away. "You'll tell only Harry and only once he takes an oath keeping him from telling anyone else."

Now it was Melania's turn to think whether the old man's request was worth the knowledge. Slowly an idea came to mind as she remembered that she had originally needed the Secret to Grimmauld even though Harry had known it. _It might work_ , she thought to herself and was pleased when Dumbledore briefly looked away from her. Melania's laurel eyes immediately jumped to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus who quickly nodded his understanding. If her plan worked then she had another way of sharing the truth.

"What is the oath?"

It took almost five minutes for the two to haggle out an agreeable oath although the first suggestion was one she could have lived with. She just enjoyed tweaking the bastard's beard a little too much. The oath was eventually agreed to and sworn.

"There is a Prophecy," he explained with a pained expression as though even now it was difficult to share the details. "One that ties Harry to Voldemort. It is imperative that Harry returns me before it is concluded."

"And what does this Prophecy say?"

"You don't need to know that, Miss Black," he snapped only to frown when she once again laughed.

"And do you really think that simple explanation will be enough to convince Harry?"

"I am trying to guide him!"

"To what end, Dumbledore?" Melania snarled and Muninn cawed in anger. "You didn't guide him into knowing his family's legacy, nor guide him into knowing his place in society. You haven't guided him into learning new magics in order to battle all the different threats he has faced since returning to the magical world. So just what is it you are guiding him for?"

Dumbledore's jaw snapped shut and his expression closed down and Melania knew she wouldn't get anything more from the man. She elegantly rose and began making her way to the door. "Well I, can see this conversation was a waste."

"Do not forget, Miss Black," Dumbledore's voice was hard and full of anger. "You will bring me Harry Potter and I won't push to have you arrested."

"Oh no, old man," she softly chuckled as she looked over her shoulder at the man who thought he was god. "I merely agreed to speak with Harry. I couldn't care less about your 'threat' when you don't even have enough political power to be on my birthday invite list."

She was gone before the casual dismissal took hold and Dumbledore roared in fury at being played like an amateur. He then frantically ran through the oath he had forced her to make, desperate to find the loophole that she so blatantly seemed to believe it possessed.

That problem would torment him for a long time to come.

.

.

oOoOo

.

.

Melania was scowling as she made her way to Dora's DADA office. She had hoped that by giving an oath that Dumbledore would have given her more than simply the existence of the Prophecy but she was also not surprised by his refusal to share. Muninn shared her worries over just what the old man was going to do next and both swore to each other to look out for their family. The brooding over the Headmaster's actions kept her from getting nervous right up until Dora answered her knocking.

"Oh...hi..." the on assignment Auror blinked at her Head of House, blushing despite her abilities. The weak smile she got back showed they were both as bad as each other.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," Dora was turning even before she replied and made her way over to a paper covered desk, rambling with every step. "I was just marking some homework. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that I'm getting. I mean really? A Dark spell is Dark because it's a Dark spell? What king of Hippogriff dung is that for Morgana's sake?"

Melania couldn't help it as she closed the door, bursting into laughter that was from as much stress relief as it was from humour. Dora gave her a weak smile and waited for her to giggle over to the empty chair.

"I've just come from a very disturbing meeting with Dumbledore," Melania announced once she was able to get herself calm. She had no fears about being overheard, Dora had already admitted to covering her office and classroom with Auror and Black privacy spells as well as sweeping both rooms each and every time she left and returned. She wasn't Moody's last apprentice for nothing. "He admitted that there was a Prophecy but refused to explain what it said."

"How'd you get him to do even _that_?" Dora's jaw dropped further than it had a right to, something Melania couldn't blame her for.

"By swearing an oath only to talk about it to people who already knew of the Prophecy and Harry Potter," she smirked evilly. "The fact our Family already knows of the Prophecy just wasn't mentioned."

Now it was Dora's turn to laugh. She cut it short when she saw the dark shadows cover her best friend's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"He tried blackmailing me into bringing Harry back. Harry Potter under his thumb or he goes to the DMLE about my legal duel with Draco."

Now Dora was scowling and she barely kept herself from marching up to the man's office to explain in Black terms just what she thought of his actions. Melania smiled at the reaction.

"It was all legal even if it's uncomfortable to the staff," she said, attempting to ease Dora's worries. "Snape was there and didn't downgrade the danger level of the duel unlike what usually happens."

"I know that, Mel, I do. You explained it to me and I agree with what you did, it's just that..."

"I know," she sighed, leaning forward while resting her arms on her knees. Her fingers ran through her long locks in a very Harry-like move. "I'm going to end up killing him, Dora. I don't even feel sorry about it apart from what it'll do to aunt Cissy."

She heard the rustle of movement that signalled Dora was moving and it didn't take long for the metamorph to kneel in front of Melania. The two stared into each others eyes and shared some type of weak smile.

"She knew this already," Dora softly promised, running her fingers softly down Melania's cheek. The laurel-eyed girl didn't realise she was silently crying. "You're doing everything you can for all of us, that's all you could ever hope for."

"Not all," Melania argued, cupping Dora's cheek. The older woman made to move away but stopped at the narrowing of eyes. "Just tell me, please. Tell me you don't love me like I do you and I'll stop."

"Melania, it's not that simple."

"Bollocks it isn't," she snarled and Dora gasped as Melania's magic pulsed through her. Her body reacted even with her morphing abilities and Dora was mesmerised when Melania's eyes burned Avada green. "In five or ten years time the age doesn't mean a fucking thing, Dora. So tell me right here, right now. Tell me you don't love me like I do you."

"Of course I bloody do, you idiot!" Dora screamed back, stumbling to her feet as her body's shifting went out of control. "I have for ages."

The smile Dora got back at her words stopped her heart. It was as though the sun had broken through a world of dark clouds and took her breath away. A heavy weight visibally lifted of Melania's shoulders as she stood, taking on the role of a Pure-blood Lady.

"Then when I've finished my OWLs and you're no longer a teacher, and if we still feel the same about each other, I look forward to our first date."

Dora's mouth worked but no sound came out as Melania simply walked out of the office as though agreeing to business deal. Her mind flashed back to how she had heard about Cissy saying something similar to Remus. It took a few moments for Dora's brain to reboot and then she growled at how the entire event had turned out.

All the while her traitorous heart was bouncing between the kiss they had shared a few days ago and the smile she had received simply for telling the truth.

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oOoOo

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.

 _11th October 1995_

Neville Longbottom was a conflicted young man. All his life he had been trapped in a half-way world, not quite an orphan but yet unable to connect with his parents. The four people responsible their catatonic state had been sentenced to life in the hell that was Azkaban. Neville and his Gran had always felt that was the barest form of revenge. His childhood hadn't been easy, not with his magic being as quiet as it had been, and he had been a chubby, nervous boy who was scared of his own shadow. Yet all that changed through the actions of one Harry James Potter.

Harry had made sure he got a wand that actually worked for him. Harry had made Neville start to believe in himself. Harry had given him a brother, treated him with the type of respect he had once thought himself unworthy of and had even killed one of the people who had tortured his parents.

The simple fact was, Neville Longbottom would do _anything_ for Harry Potter.

Yet Harry had vanished after the attack by Malfoy Senior to leave Neville floundering. He had almost fallen back into his old self until a black-haired beauty faced down his Gran and revealed herself to be the one person Harry had promised would stand by Neville as he had. And Neville couldn't argue his friend's words, not after Melania Black had taught him the very spell he used to take down Bellatrix Lestrange.

As Neville stepped into the Hogwarts Library, he couldn't shake the sense that he was missing something. Something important beyond the feeling of his brother by his side. Neville worked his way through the tables and aisles until he found his goal. Hermione Granger and his girlfriend Luna Lovegood were pouring over a stack of books with an intensity that worried him. He coughed to get their attention and couldn't believe what he heard when Hermione looked up.

"We think there's a secret connection between Harry and Melania."

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oOoOo

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.

And angry Dark Lord Voldemort was not a good thing for anyone involved. The reborn menace to innocent lives had returned from 'persuading' Gregorovitch into making him a brand new wand only to find his Death Eaters in a chaotic mess. His Inner Circle had somehow taken more losses with the deaths of the Lestrange brothers and the inexcusable murder of Fenrir Greyback. While Voldemort hadn't specifically enjoyed the feral man, he was at least able to keep the werewolves on Voldemort's side and that was all that mattered. Now though, the werewolves had scattered to the wind with barely a dozen out of the original hundreds staying by his side.

"Speak," he commanded of the Death Eater currently assigned to restore Bellatrix to health.

"It is the same curse as what befell Barty Junior, my Lord," the man rushed to explain to stave off the potential of a Crucio. "Thankfully there is no sign of the poison this time."

"How long?"

"My Lord?"

"How long? How long until Bella is once again ready to kill the blood traitors who dare defy me? How long until I can set her against my enemies? How. Long?"

"Unknown, my Lord," the man swallowed, painfully, when Voldemort twitched for his wand. "While the curse isn't Dark per se, it is resisting healing. We are having to keep her in stasis between healing sessions or else she'll die before the wound closes."

"You have two weeks. Now get out of my sight," The Marked Medi-wizard barely stopped himself from running out of the throne room and wondered if he had time to contact Gringotts for a will before his Lord killed him. "Now, someone explain exactly how a routine attack cost me three Death Eaters, put Bellatrix on death's door and Dementors killed. WELL?"

The robed Death Eaters shuffled nervously until Corban Yaxley raised his masked face to speak what others feared to voice.

"It was Black, my Lord," the Master Auror announced. "According to the reports, it was a combination of her familiar feeling the effects of the Dementors and Black spotting the Malfoy boy acting suspiciously. It gave her enough time to raise the alarm and call in reinforcements."

Voldemort leaned back in his throne and cupped the arms' curved ends. His long fingers pressed hard into the leathered material and all those in the large room heard the metal beneath creak.

"So, young Malfoy is once more a disappointment," the red eyes narrowed as they blazed with fury. "Unable to access Lucius' money, unable to influence Slytherin House, revealing our attack before it was time. If the boy wasn't so useless I would suspect he was doing this deliberately."

"I'm afraid there's more, my Lord," Yaxley interrupted and waited for the wave of a hand before continuing. "Dumbledore has tried calling for Black's arrest but the old fool is trying to override the Code Duello."

"And just who did Lady Black beat in a duel for Dumbledore to become so reckless?"

"Malfoy, my Lord. According to our spies in the school, she challenged him and the fool allowed everything including Unforgivables. That was Saturday and he is still being treated for his wounds."

The air was heavy with the stunned silence of Lord Voldemort as he attempted to find any sense in Draco Malfoy's actions. It didn't take him any time to come to the conclusion that there were none.

"Dolohov, if young Malfoy does not impress me before the end of the year, you and Macnair can have him once he signs over the Malfoy fortune. I have no need of fools."

Two eager sadistic men bowed their heads and thanked their Lord.

"And now we must work on showing the fools and traitors that disobedience and fighting back shall not be tolerated.

.

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oOoOo

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 _14th October 1995_

The students' reaction to the attack and defence of Hogsmeade should have lasted for weeks. As it was, the intense gossiping about the event and fallout was forced to share space with the revelation of Melania and Draco's duel. Most of the student population were glad the Ferret had been put in his place but scared over the viciousness she had used in doing so. They were happy to hear rumours of Melania Black willing to stand up for those in trouble yet worried that same wand was turned on them.

And then there were those who either fully supported her or outright hated her actions. One lone mind just laughed as he ate, absolutely delighted that the evil Slytherins were attempting to kill each other.

It had been an intense week for Melania and she was grateful to escape the insanity of Hogwarts once Saturday rolled around. It had been telling that Snape had seemed to actually be _pleased_ that she was going to be with family rather than in the castle and she only hoped the wizard behind the curtain wasn't causing her Potions Professor too many problems.

She stepped easily through the Floo connection and immediately stood to the side in order to allow Dora and Susan to come through. Melania looked around the study and smiled at how homely it felt even with the armed and ready Aurors watching them. Amelia and her father were standing by the door and both amused and saddened by the security measures.

"Stand still please," once of the Aurors declared once the other two females had come through. None of the group went for a wand to clean the soot off their clothes. "This will only take a moment. No moving until we confirm your identities."

Melania lifted an eyebrow at the speaker as though he was a fool for even thinking she wasn't who she looked to be. It was a look she had been practising and was pleased when the Auror appeared to hesitate. A cough coming from Amelia caused her to lower the brow.

"Behave," the DMLE Head ordered and everyone ignored the soft giggles coming from Susan.

The identity scans were done in such a way that the other two Aurors had clear line of sight in case things went south. The charm wasn't the easiest method of finding imposters given its lengthy casting time but it worked for the current setting.

Amelia and Sirius pulled the two youngest girls into hugs once everyone's identities had been confirmed, the latter also pulling Dora into a twirl when Andi's daughter looked to be making an escape. It was a happy five who made their way to Amelia's study, the protection detail following at a respectable distance.

"You, young lady, have a lot to answer for," the elder Bones woman scowled at Melania as they sat in comfortable chairs while Sirius ordered some light refreshments. Melania looked anything but contrite at the look that had caused seasoned Aurors to shudder. "But before we get into your insane idea of making me Minister, I want to hear about this lethal Patronus of yours."

It wasn't a request.

Melania nodded and gave a sigh as she looked around the room. Amelia's protection detail had put themselves at a distance that allowed for privacy if needed but could still react if there was trouble. She looked at one who was absently scratching at his inner arm. "What does it take to cast a Patronus?"

"Aside from a butt-tonne of power?" The man's partner scoffed only to be glared at by his boss. The first man answered.

"A happy memory."

"And that's where everyone gets it wrong," she replied with a shake of the head. The Potter Book and other tomes had allowed her to make detailed research of both Dementors and the Patronus Charm. "Second question, Amelia, what do Dementors feed on?"

"Happiness," the oldest red-head answered only to scowl when she saw the logical flaw in the situation. "Yet a Patronus is supposed to fuelled by a happy memory."

"Exactly," Melania nodded at her future step-mother, resting her head against the high-backed chair. Her father was looking a bit twitchy at the conversation yet also listened with interest. "It's believed that they feed off all our happy emotions yet when they're done, they still seem eager to come back for more."

"You're right, that doesn't make sense," Susan frowned in a way that was eerily similar to her aunt. Melania and Dora shared an amused look at the sight.

"So instead, consider the idea that Dementors feast on despair and anguish, causing it to become the dominant emotion around anyone nearby. In this case, any type of positive emotion then becomes poison to them."

"My innocence," Sirius whispered. Amelia immediately took his hand in hers and squeezed tightly while his daughter gave a slow nod, her laurel eyes filled with sympathy. "It kept the worst of the effects at bay."

"Exactly, dad," she nodded, turning to the man who had spoken early. "And yes, a Patronus does need a lot of power. But it's not magical power but a powerful positive emotion."

She waited for the room to digest her words before continuing on, the passion of teaching easily visible to those listening.

"Happiness works to create a shield, just like happiness can fight off sadness. But love? Love can destroy anguish. Love is powerful enough to pull you out of the deepest depths of despair. It's _love_ that powers my Patronus and the reason I can cast the spell more than once without it draining me completely. It's _love_ that Harry Potter used that night in order to save Dad's soul."

There was a heavy silence as everyone took time to digest what had just been revealed. Absolutely no one considered that Melania was wrong in her statements.

Sirius was trying not to burst into tears at what his daughter had just revealed. His godson's love for him, a man who had abandoned him for the sake of revenge, was powerful enough to repel a hundred Dementors.

Dora looked on at her Head of House and felt her heart race at the signs of the imposing woman Melania was turning into. Any doubts about their relationship faded as she realised that she truly was head over heels in love with the young woman.

Susan wondered if she could convince her future sister to become a teacher to Neville's DA club while Amelia mentally shuddered at a fully ready Lady Black speaking in front of the Wizengamot.

"You also want to know how to kill them," Melania sighed into the pregnant silence, leaning forward as she considered her next words carefully. "It's still about love, I'll admit. But it's more than that. It's also a righteous fury. An anger _fuelled_ by love, a desire for the death of those monsters not for yourself, but in order to protect a loved one. That and a slightly different incantation can destroy them."

"It's Family Magic, Amelia," she said, her voice much softer than it had been before. The DMLE Head was just about to deflate when she pushed on. "But I'll release it to your department. It's not a spell that can be turned against either the Potters or Blacks and it'll save lives. That's all I care about."

"Thank you," Amelia replied and the depth of her gratitude was clear as the two most important women in Sirius Black's life locked eyes. "I would like you to teach both the normal and the adjusted spell to my Aurors."

"I can do that," she promised with a nod. "And I suppose that's why I want the Alliance to make you Minister. Morgana, Amelia, I'm not expecting you to keep the position once all the fighting is done with. But the only person I trust as Minister to give you and the DMLE what they need to fight back against Riddle and his Death Eaters is _you_. Unless you're expecting me to try putting Dad in the position?"

The look of abject horror on Sirius' face caused the entire room to erupt in laughter. It didn't help that the man was constantly shaking his head at the mere thought of becoming Minister of Magic.

"Well..." Dora mused and it was a tone that announced she was slightly serious. "Making him the next DMLE Head would allow for the Family Magic bit to be done easier. And he could update the Auror training to match what we put you through."

A far from amused Sirius glared at Dora and then turned to his daughter, his every move screaming that he was changing the subject and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it.

"Mel, love, Amelia and I have been talking. I won't do it unless you and Susan are okay with this but I'd really like to. I hope you can see why, I've told you all about my problems with the family and..."

Melania and Susan shared a look, both sighing and rolling their eyes at his ramblings before turning to the mature one in the relationship. Amelia just smiled at their antics while Dora chuckled. "Siri, just tell them. They'll understand."

"Right, of course," he coughed before taking a deep breath. "I would like the permission of both of you to take the name of Bones when Amelia and I marry."

Melania could see the struggle her father had in asking and could almost feel the fear that she would be angry with the request rolling off him. Once again she looked to her future sister and began speaking.

"Sirius Black is a man with a lot of demons to his past."

"And a lot of baggage to the name," Susan added and both girls could see how much it meant to Sirius. Melania didn't feel like she was losing a father even with the name change while Susan felt like she might be gaining one. The two nodded to each other and rose to envelop the fiancées in tight hugs. Amelia was smiling while Sirius let loose a massive release of relief.

As the impromptu group hug pulled apart, Melania once again noticed the same Auror scratching at his inner arm. She stilled as she took in the movement, eyes narrowing as her brain recognised that the fingers weren't scratching but pressing into the area. The same area that murderers and monsters were branded. The man's eyes widened as he realised she was watching him and he panicked. The Death Eater Auror pulled a poisoned blade from somewhere and spun sideways to stab his partner, following through so that he was rolling away from the already dying man as Melania shouted out a warning.

The Death Eater knew he wouldn't get out of the room alive and did the only thing he could. A Confringo was sent into the midst of the group in the hopes of taking some of them with him. It was met by the magic of an angry Lady Black.

" _Protego!_ " The almost solid blue shield snapped to life and sent the explosive spell flying off in a safe direction. It was the last thing the Death Eater saw before two cutting curses and a stunner shut him down.

"Madam Bones!" Another of Amelia's security called out before opening the door. The woman immediately found herself facing the wands of the family.

"So me your left arm, Simmons," Amelia commanded, ready to fire off a spell should the Auror refuse. Simmons appeared to do as she had been told only to try racing out of the room. She was hit in the back by five stunners that sent her unconscious body crashing into the opposite wall. Amelia let loose a torrent of abuse

"I think you might need to have a word with whoever picked your detail," Melania spoke up when it became apparent that the older woman wasn't going to be giving up the rant any time soon.

"Yaxley," Amelia snarled only to then frown as she felt something change. "The wards. They cut me off from the wards."

Everyone swore only to quickly shut up when an explosion rocked the Ossuary. The group looked at each other with dread as the full level of danger became apparent.

"Apparition? Port-keys?" Susan asked in a voice far calmer than she felt.

Sirius attempted the spin only to stumble when anti-apparition wards kept him from leaving. Amelia grabbed a glass and cast the Portus spell only for that too to fail.

"The Floo will be down too," Sirius declared and no one doubted his word.

Melania looked to her finger but immediately dismissed the Delacour ring. The sheer power required to get them all out in one go would most likely kill her and some of her family too. And that was when the dreaded voice of Riddle echoed throughout the ancient home of House Bones.

"Blacksss and Bonesss, a thorn in my ssside no longer," Melania's eyes widened at the hissing, knowing that the owner only did so when he was truly angry. "You are not even worth the effort it will take to kill you. _Fiendfyre!_ "

Sirius' words summed up all of their thoughts as they heard the dreaded whoosh of demonic flames.

"Well fuck."

The Ossuary burned, consumed by the deadliest fires known to Wizard kind. Lord Voldemort's red eyes gleamed with manacle delight as he watched the end of those who looked to stop him from achieving his goal. It had been he who cast the wards to keep anyone from magically leaving the inferno and his spy in the Ministry would keep the Floo closed.

The being that was once Tom Riddle laughed as he saw things finally going his way. The laughter remained even when his Apparated away, never once thinking he had made the same mistake as he had over a decade ago. In his hubris he had once again forgotten about the loyalty and power held within the beings known as House-elves.

.

.

oOoOo


End file.
